Common Name:

General Information

Artemisia indica is a variable plant, sometimes annual, more commonly perennial (sometimes short-lived) to a more or less woody sub-shrub. It can spread freely by means of a rhizomatous rootstock, producing much-branched stems 80 - 150cm tall[, , ].
The plant is gathered from the wild mainly for medicinal use, but also for its essential oil and sometimes as a food. The leaves are sometimes sold in local food markets in Korea[]. The root is used to make proprietary medicines in China[].

Known Hazards

Although we have seen no specific reports for this species, many members of this genus contain potentially allergenic sesquiterpene lactones that can cause skin reactions[].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - China, Japan, India, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia

Habitat

Waste ground in central and southern Japan[]. The sides of paths and tracks, margins of cleared forests at elevations of 300 - 2500 metres in Nepal[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Annual/Perennial
Height	1.20 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in a well-drained circumneutral or slightly alkaline loamy soil, preferring a sunny position[, ]. Plants are longer lived, more hardy and more aromatic when they are grown in a poor dry soil[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

Young leaves - cooked and eaten in soups or with barley[, ]. The leaves are also pounded with steamed glutinous rice to give a flavour and colouring[, ].

Medicinal

The leaves and flowering stems are anthelmintic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, expectorant and stomachic[, ]. An infusion is used in the treatment of nervous and spasmodic affections, in asthma and in diseases of the brain[, ]. This infusion is also considered to be helpful in improving the appetite[]. The juice of the plant is used in Nepal to treat diarrhoea, dysentery and abdominal pains[]. It is used as an eyewash where it is said to relieve the burning sensation in conjunctivitis[]. A paste of the plant is applied externally to treat wounds[].

The roots are antiseptic and are used to make a medicine that is a tonic for the kidneys[, , ].

Other Uses

The plant yields about 0.2% essential oil. This is a good larvicide and a feeble insecticide[].
The dried leaves and flowers are used as an incense[].

Propagation

Seed - surface sow spring in a greenhouse. Do not allow the compost to dry out. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.
The seed can also be sown in situ in late spring.