Artemisia ludoviciana
Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 2: 143. 1818.
Perennials, 20–80 (rarely to 120 in desert washes) cm, aromatic (rhizomatous). Stems relatively few to relatively numerous, erect, gray-green, simple or widely branched, hairy. Leaves cauline, uniformly gray-green, green, or white, or bicolor (white and green); blades linear to broadly elliptic, 1.5–11 × 0.5–4 cm, entire or lobed to relatively deeply pinnatifid, faces hairy. Heads (erect to nodding, peduncles 0 or 2–5 mm) in congested to open (widely branched) arrays. Involucres campanulate or turbinate, (1–)2–4(–5) × 2–5(–8) mm. Phyllaries (gray-green), lanceolate to ovate or obovate (margins narrowly hyaline), densely tomentose. Florets: pistillate 5–12; bisexual 6–45; corollas yellow, sometimes red-tinged, 1.5–2.8 mm, glabrous. Cypselae ellipsoid ca. 0.5 mm, (obscurely nerved) glabrous. 2n = 18, 36, 54.
Distribution
North America, Mexico.
Discussion
Subspecies ca. 7 (6 in the flora).
Selected References
None.
Lower Taxa
Key
| 1 | Leaves usually relatively deeply lobed (1/3+ widths, nearly to midrib, proximal leaves sometimes entire); involucres 3–8 mm diam.; mountain meadows and slopes | > 2 |
| 1 | Leaves entire or relatively shallowly lobed (lobes to 1/3 widths); involucres 2–3(–4) mm diam.; desert valleys and mountains | > 3 |
| 2 | Involucres 4–5 × 4–8 mm | Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. candicans |
| 2 | Involucres 3–4 × 3–5 mm | Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. incompta |
| 3 | Heads in paniculiform arrays (4–)8–30 cm diam.; leaves mostly 1.5–2 cm | Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. albula |
| 3 | Heads in paniculiform or racemiform arrays 1–6 cm diam.; leaves 1.5–11 cm | > 4 |
| 4 | Leaf margins plane | Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. ludoviciana |
| 4 | Leaf margins revolute | > 5 |
| 5 | Leaves bicolor (gray-green and bright green), margins mostly entire, abaxial faces glabrous | Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. redolens |
| 5 | Leaves gray-green, margins usually lobed, abaxial faces hairy | Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. mexicana |