Artemisia annua
Artemisia annua
Artemisia annua, also known as sweet wormwood, annual mugwort or annual wormwood (pronunciation: /ɑːrtɪˈmiːziə ˈænjuːə/), is a common type of wormwood native to temperate Asia, but naturalized in many countries including scattered parts of North America.
Etymology
The genus name Artemisia derives from the Greek goddess Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals, and childbirth. The specific epithet annua comes from the Latin 'annus' meaning 'yearly', referring to the plant's life cycle.
Description
Artemisia annua belongs to the plant family of Asteraceae. It is an annual herbaceous plant with a height of up to 2 meters. The leaves are divided and the plant is covered with small oil-producing glands. The small flowers are pale yellow and spherical. The plant is aromatic, with a strong sweet scent.
Medical Uses
The plant has been used in Chinese medicine for more than 2000 years to treat fever. The active ingredient, artemisinin, is a sesquiterpene lactone with a peroxide group and has been found to be a potent antimalarial drug. Artemisinin and its derivatives are now standard treatments worldwide for Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Artemisia annua
- Wikipedia's article - Artemisia annua
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