Artemisia vulgaris (PROSEA)

Plant Resources of South-East Asia Introduction

List of species

Artemisia vulgaris L.

Protologue: Sp. pl. 2: 848 (1753).

Vernacular names

• Mugwort (En)
• Indonesia: baru cina (Sumatra), beunghar kucicing (Sundanese), suket ganjahan (Javanese)
• Malaysia: hiya, bunga ayam hutan bateh, baru cina (Peninsular)
• Philippines: damong-maria (Tagalog), erbaka (Iloko), gilbas (Cebu-Bisaya)
• Thailand: kot chulaalamphuaua
• Vietnam: ngải cứu, thuốc cứu.

Distribution

Native in Europe, continental Asia and North America, introduced and naturalized locally in South-East Asia, e.g. in Java; locally cultivated, e.g. in Peninsular Malaysia and the Philippines.

Uses

Leaves and flowering tops are used traditionally to stimulate the appetite, as a sedative and as a vermifuge. A gel containing the extract is considered a useful skin care product for dry and pruritic skin conditions. In the Philippines, a decoction or infusion of the leaves is used as a vulnerary, expectorant, stomachic and emmenagogue. In Indonesia, the herb is used as a diuretic, to treat haemorrhoids, diarrhoea and (externally) to treat skin diseases and sores. In Malaysia, it is also used to treat sores. In Thailand, the roots are used as anthelmintic, the leaves as an anti-asthma, antipyretic, expectorant, emmenagogue and to cure diarrhoea; the flowers are used as an anti-asthma and expectorant. In Vietnam, it is considered haemostatic, emmenagogue and stomachic, and is used externally for poulticing ulcers and sores. A. vulgaris is used in local medicine in India to treat rheumatism. In Chinese medicine the leaves are used as a remedy against haemorrhage and diarrhoea. Leaves are used to flavour food.

Observations

• A perennial, often ascending and branched herb up to 200 cm tall, with subterranean stolons and grooved stem.
• Leaves pinnatipartite to bipinnate, up to 10.5(-14) cm long, with lanceolate, 1-7 mm wide segments, with dense white lanate-arachnoid hairs beneath.
• Heads in panicles with spiciform branches, 3.5-5 mm long.
• Central flowers bisexual, corolla pale green.
• Fruit glabrous, but not developing in Java.

A. vulgaris is locally a common weed in open localities, in fields and roadsides, in Java at 250-3000 m altitude. A. vulgaris is a complex species that many authors have divided into numerous species, but that others consider to represent a single very variable and widespread species. Information on A. vulgaris from eastern Asia probably often refers to other related species (mainly A. indica ?).

Selected sources

• Backer, C.A. & Bakhuizen van den Brink Jr, R.C., 1963-1968. Flora of Java. 3 volumes. Noordhoff, Groningen, the Netherlands. Vol. 1 (1963) 647 pp., Vol. 2 (1965) 641 pp., Vol. 3 (1968) 761 pp.
• Bruneton, J., 1995. Pharmacognosy, phytochemistry, medicinal plants. Technique & Documentation Lavoisier, Paris, France. 915 pp.
• Burkill, I.H., 1966. A dictionary of the economic products of the Malay Peninsula. Revised reprint. 2 volumes. Ministry of Agriculture and Co operatives, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Vol. 1 (A-H) pp. 1-1240. Vol. 2 (I- Z) pp. 1241-2444.
• Chen, C.P., Lin, C.C. & Namba, T., 1987. Development of natural crude drug resources from Taiwan VI. In vitro studies of the inhibitory effect of 12 microorganisms. Shoyakugaku Zasshi 41(3): 215-225. (in Japanese)
• Chen, C.P., Lin, C.C. & Namba, T., 1989. Screening of Taiwanese crude drugs for antibacterial activity against Streptococcus mutans. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 27(3): 285-296.
• de Padua, L.S., Lugod, G.C. & Pancho, J.V., 1977-1983. Handbook on Philippine medicinal plants. 4 volumes. Documentation and Information Section, Office of the Director of Research, University of the Philippines at Los Baños, the Philippines.
• Dharma, A.P., 1981. Indonesische geneeskrachtige planten [Indonesian medicinal plants]. De Driehoek, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. 168 pp.
• Do Tat Loi, 1995. Medicinal plants and traditional remedies in Vietnam. 7th Edition. Science and Technics Publishing House, Hanoi, Vietnam. 1485 pp. (in Vietnamese)
• Heyne, K., 1950. De nuttige planten van Indonesië [The useful plants of Indonesia]. 3rd Edition. 2 volumes. W. van Hoeve, 's Gravenhage, the Netherlands/Bandung, Indonesia. 1660 + CCXLI pp.
• Michaelis, K., Vostrowsky, O., Paulini, H., Zintl, R. & Knobloch, K., 1982. Das ätherische Öl aus Blüten von Artemisia vulgaris L. [Essential oil from flowers of Artemisia vulgaris]. Zeitschrift für Naturforschung, Section C, 37(3-4): 152-158.
• Nano, G.M., Bicchi, C., Frattini, C. & Gallino, M., 1976. On the composition of some oils from Artemisia vulgaris. Planta Medica 30(3): 211-215.
• Nguyen Van Duong, 1993. Medicinal plants of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Mekong Printing, Santa Ana, California, United States. 528 pp.
• Perry, L.M., 1980. Medicinal plants of East and Southeast Asia. Attributed properties and uses. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States & London, United Kingdom. 620 pp.
• Pham Hoang Ho, 1991-1993. An illustrated flora of Vietnam. 3 volumes. Mekong Publisher, Montreal, Canada.
• Quisumbing, E., 1978. Medicinal plants of the Philippines. Katha Publishing Co., Quezon City, the Philippines. 1262 pp.
• Tezuka, T., Kusuda, S., Higashida, T., Matsumura, H., Horikawa, T. & Tamaki, A., 1993. The clinical effects of mugwort extract on pruritic skin lesions. Skin Research 35(2): 303-311. (in Japanese)
• Wijayakusuma, H.M.H., Wirian, S.W., Yaputra, T., Dalimartha, S. & Wibowo, B., 1992. Tanaman berkhasiat obat di Indonesia [Plants yielding medicine in Indonesia]. Vol. 1. Pustaka Kartini, Jakarta, Indonesia. 122 pp.

Main genus page

• Artemisia (Medicinal plants)

Authors

• Nguyen Tien Ban, Vu Xuan Phuong & Charles B. Lugt