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Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.) is from the Asteraceae or Compositae family.
Is an aromatic and perennial plant and grow up to 90 cm tall.
It is native to Europe but can also be found in Asia and North Africa, especially near areas habited by humans.
Usually grows in dry, sunny, mountainous and especially rich-in-nitrogen soils.
Characterized by its unique aroma and bitter taste.
It’s classified as a camefit, it stem is herbaceous, erect, pubescent and slightly ribbed.
It has a *** texture and whitish on the bottom but herbaceous and blue-green color in its upper area.
The leaves are alternate, stalked, bi or tripinnate and with a pinnatisectal limbus.
It differs from Artemisia vulgaris because the vertices of the leaves are obtuse.
In addition, its floral cup is semispherical and silky, which also differentiates it from other species of Artemisia.
Flowers between July and September, with a racemose inflorescence in a slightly bent-down head.
The flowers are arranged in panicles and join the stem by long petioles, which have at their base a bract similar to the main blades.
Each flower head consists of many flowers, yellow, with a tubular and actinomorphic corolla.
Its central florets are hermaphrodite, however non-central florets are female.
The fruits are formed into achenes and are reddish.
The leaves and flower heads are used medicinally.
Its main active ingredient is thujone (absinthol) a highly toxic hallucinogen,
that is characterized by abortive, antibacterial, hallucinogenic, neurotoxic, hepatotoxic and epileptogenic.
But intake too much can seriously affect the brain and cause severe liver damage.
This component is used primarily for the production of absinthe (an alcoholic beverage, known for its hallucinogenic effects)
It is believed that Vincent van Gogh cut off his ear product of hallucinations caused by ingestion of absinthe.