Artemisia dracunculus

Native

Dry. Prairies, roadsides. Full sun.

July to September

Pale yellow

24″ to 60″

This is a 24″ to 60″ tall, erect, perennial forb that rises on a single stem or in a cluster of numerous stems from fibrous roots and a short rhizome or branching caudex. When crushed, the leaves and stem may be either not fragrant to only slightly fragrant or strongly tarragon-scented.

The stems are erect or ascending, stiff. They are green at first, later turning brown or reddish-brown and becoming somewhat woody. They are sometimes hairless, usually sparsely to moderately covered with short, curly hairs.

Basal leaves are narrowly linear, 2″ to 3⅛″ long, and ⅛″ to 3 ⁄16″ wide. They have a pair, rarely two pairs, of slender, ascending lobes near the base. The leaves and lobes are sharply pointed at the tip. In Minnesota, the upper and lower surfaces are usually bright green and hairless. They are not silvery or whitish in appearance. The margins are untoothed.

Stem leaves are alternate, ⅜″ to 2¾″ long, 1 ⁄32″ to 3 ⁄16″ wide, and otherwise similar to basal leaves. Lower, larger stem leaves are sometimes lobed. Middle and upper stem leaves are rarely lobed. Stem leaves do not have leaf-like stipules or stipule-like lobes or teeth at the base.

The inflorescence is an open, leafy, 6″ to 18″ long, 2½″ to 11½″ wide, branched cluster (panicle) of numerous, densely spaced flower heads at the end of the stems and branches.

The flower head is small and ball-shaped. It is on a slender, very short, sometimes nodding flower stalk. The whorl of bracts at the base of the flower head (involucre) is 1 ⁄16″ to ⅛″ long and wide. On the margin of the disc are 6 to 25 pale yellow florets with both stamens and pistils that are fertile and produce fruits. In the center are 8 to 200 pale yellow florets that also have both stamens and pistils, but have abortive ovaries and do not produce fruits. There is no floral scent.

The fruit is a tiny achene.