[Wormwoods West of the Cascade Mountains of Oregon and Washington]

Columbia River Sagewort, Louisiana Sagewort, Prairie Sage, Riverbank Wormwood, Silver Wormwood, Western Mugwort, Western Wormwood, White Sagebrush

Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. ludoviciana

Synonyms: Artemisia candicans, Artemisia diversifolia, Artemisia gnaphaloides, Artemisia ludoviciana var. ludoviciana, Artemisia vulgaris var. ludoviciana

Columbia River Sagewort, Prairie Sage, Riverbank Wormwood, Western Mugwort, Western Wormwood, White Sagebrush: Artemisia ludoviciana (Synonyms: Artemisia candicans, Artemisia diversifolia, Artemisia gnaphaloides, Artemisia ludoviciana var. ludoviciana, Artemisia vulgaris var. ludoviciana)

Western wormwood growing along the Deschutes River in north central Oregon...........2006
Characteristics:

Upright, aromatic herbaceous plant with numerous flower heads clustered close to the upper part of the main stem. The flower heads are discoid, with 6-45 yellowish disk flowers, depending on the variety. Leaves are entire to deeply parted or divided. Plants are somewhat silvery haired. Flowers from July into October.

Habitat:

Western wormwood is a wildflower that may be found in dry open places.

Range:

Western wormwood is found mostly east of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada, but is otherwise common in the western United States.

Leaves of Columbia River Sagewort, Prairie Sage, Riverbank Wormwood, Western Mugwort, Western Wormwood, White Sagebrush: Artemisia ludoviciana (Synonyms: Artemisia candicans, Artemisia diversifolia, Artemisia gnaphaloides, Artemisia ludoviciana var. ludoviciana, Artemisia vulgaris var. ludoviciana)

The photo above shows a close-up of some of the stem leaves of western wormwood as seen on the west bank of the Deschutes River at its mouth........October 7, 2006. Note the variablility of leaf margins for this species as well as the dense covering of white, appressed hairs on both surfaces of the leaves.

Ventral leaf surface of Columbia River Sagewort, Prairie Sage, Riverbank Wormwood, Western Mugwort, Western Wormwood, White Sagebrush: Artemisia ludoviciana Synonyms: Artemisia candicans, Artemisia diversifolia, Artemisia gnaphaloides, Artemisia ludoviciana var. ludoviciana, Artemisia vulgaris var. ludoviciana) - Dorsal leaf surface of Columbia River Sagewort, Prairie Sage, Riverbank Wormwood, Western Mugwort, Western Wormwood, White Sagebrush: Artemisia ludoviciana (Synonyms: Artemisia candicans, Artemisia diversifolia, Artemisia gnaphaloides, Artemisia ludoviciana var. ludoviciana, Artemisia vulgaris var. ludoviciana)

Inflorescence of Columbia River Sagewort, Prairie Sage, Riverbank Wormwood, Western Mugwort, Western Wormwood, White Sagebrush: Artemisia ludoviciana (Synonyms: Artemisia candicans, Artemisia diversifolia, Artemisia gnaphaloides, Artemisia ludoviciana var. ludoviciana, Artemisia vulgaris var. ludoviciana)

The 3 photos above show close-up views of some of the stem leaves (ventral leaf: upper left and dorsal leaf: upper right) and inflorescence (lower photo) of western wormwood as seen on the west bank of the Deschutes River at its mouth........September 29, 2007. Click each photo to see an enlarged view of each.
Paul Slichter