Subshrub from a branched caudex forming mats with short, sterile stems and clustered leaves. Stems ascending or erect, often branched, 10–60 cm, woody at the base. Herbage tomentose to canescent, aromatic. Leaves basal and cauline, petiolate; basal blades oblong, 5–12 mm long, 2 to 3 times divided into linear segments, ca. 1 mm wide; cauline alternate, similar with dissected stipules. Inflorescence narrow leafy-paniculate or -racemose; bracts lobed. Involucre hemispheric, 2–3 mm high; phyllaries green to whitish, tomentose; receptacle hirsute. Disk flowers 30 to 70, perfect and female, glandular; corolla ca. 1.5 mm long; yellow. Achenes glabrous, ca. 1 mm long (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
Montana has about 19
Artemisia species, generally referred to as sagebrush, sagewort, mugwort, and wormwood. Of these, 8 species are well-developed shrubs, and the remainder are woody at their base (sub-shrubs) or herbaceous. A technical field guide should be used to identify species of
Artemisia.
Fringed Sage -
Artemisia frigida, native
* Plants: Short, perennial sub-shrub. Aromatic. Hairs dense, soft,
andinterwoven (tomentose) to canescent.
* Root: Branched caudex.
* Leaves: Gray-greenish, and oblong. Divided 2-3 times into linear segments, about 1 mm wide.
Absinth Wormwood -
Artemisia absinthium, non-native, invasive, undesirable
* Plants: Robust, herbaceous, perennial forb. Aromatic. Hairs dense, fine, and gray-white (canescent).
* Root: Taproot.
* Leaves: Gray-greenish, and ovate in outline. Pinnately divided 2-3 times into linear-lanceolate segments at least 2 mm wide.
Alpine Sagebrush -
Artemisia scopulorum, native
* Plants: Smaller, herbaceous, perennial forb. Hairs stiff, straight, sharp,
and appressed (strigose) to canescent.
* Root: Branched caudex.
* Leaves: Gray-greenish, and ovate in outline. Divided 2 times into linear-oblanceolate segments about 1 mm wide.
Grasslands, sagebrush steppe, coniferous woodlands; plains, valleys, montane, rarely higher (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
