Artemisia campestris

Biennials or perennials, (10–)30–80(–150) cm, faintly aromatic; taprooted, caudices branched. Stems usually 1–5, turning reddish brown, (often ribbed) tomentose or glabrous. Leaves persistent or deciduous, mostly basal; basal blades 4–12 cm, cauline gradually reduced, 2–4 × 0.5–1.5 cm, 2–3-pinnately lobed, lobes linear to narrowly oblong, apices acute, faces densely to sparsely white-pubescent. Heads (pedunculate) in (mostly leafless) paniculiform arrays. Involucres broadly turbinate, 2.5–3(–5) × 2–3.5(–7) mm. Phyllaries (margins scarious) glabrous or villous-tomentose. Florets: pistillate 5–20; functionally staminate 12–30; corollas pale yellow, sparsely hairy or glabrous. Cypselae oblong-lanceoloid, somewhat compressed, 0.8–1 mm, faintly nerved, glabrous.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

North America, especially mountains and high latitudes, Eurasia.

Discussion

Subspecies ca. 7 (3 in the flora).

Artemisia campestris varies; each morphologic form grades into another. The present circumscription is conservative in that only three subspecies are recognized; the subspecies usually can be separated geographically as well as morphologically. Populations in western North America consist primarily of subsp. pacifica; east of the continental divide, plants are assigned to subsp. canadensis in northern latitudes and to subsp. caudata in southern latitudes.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Artemisia campestris subsp. canadensis, Artemisia campestris subsp. caudata, Artemisia campestris subsp. pacifica

Key

1	Perennials; stems 2–5; basal rosettes persistent	Artemisia campestris subsp. pacifica
1	Biennials; stems 1(–3); basal rosettes not persistent (withering before flowering)	> 2
2	Involucres globose, 3–4 × 3.5–5 mm; n of 50°, primarily Canada	Artemisia campestris subsp. canadensis
2	Involucres turbinate, 2–3 × 2–3 mm; s of 50°, e from Rocky Mountains to coastal North America	Artemisia campestris subsp. caudata