Ambrosia artemesiifolia - Roman Wormwood

Family:	Compositae
Habit:	Annual
Height:	0.9
Synonyms:	A. elatior.
Range:	N. America - British Columbia to Nova Scotia and Florida. Locally established casual in Britain[17].

Ambrosia artemesiifolia (Roman Wormwood) is a Annual which grows to a height of 0.9m . It has a hardness rating of 0.
Roman Wormwood will flower in February to April. The flowers from this plant are monoecious (both sexes are found on the plant but each flower is either male or female) and they are pollinated by Wind

Soil Information

Roman Wormwood will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
Roman Wormwood prefers moist soils

Ideal Planting Locations

Roman Wormwood can grow in semi or areas with no shade.

Waste places in Western N. America[60]. Found in dry soils, it can become a pernicious weed in cultivated soils[235].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Grows within a woodland garden
• Can be planted in Cultivated Beds

Cultivation Details

We have very little information on this species but suggest growing it in a sunny position in a well-drained soil. It has been suggested for commercial cultivation[61]. Some plants produce mainly sterile heads[60]. The pollen from the flowers of this species is an important cause of hay-fever in N. America[17].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 2/5
An oil is obtained from the seed. It has been suggested for edible purposes because it contains little linolenic acid[61, 183]. The seed contains up to 19% oil[61], it has slightly better drying properties than soya bean oil[183].

• Oil -

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 3/5
The leaves are very astringent, emetic and febrifuge[222, 257]. They are applied externally to insect bites, rheumatic joints and various skin complaints, internally they are used as a tea in the treatment of fevers, pneumonia, nausea, intestinal cramps, diarrhoea and mucous discharges[222, 257]. Juice from the wilted leaves is disinfectant and is applied to infected toes[257]. A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of menstrual disorders and stroke[222]. The pollen is harvested commercially and manufactured into pharmaceutical preparations for the treatment of allergies to the plant[222].

• Antidote - Counters poisoning.
• Astringent - Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
• Disinfectant - Used for cleaning wounds.
• Emetic - Induces vomiting.
• Febrifuge - Reduces fevers.
• Women's complaints - A very vague title, it deals with a miscellany of problems peculiar to the female sex.

Propagation

Seed - we have no details for this species but suggest sowing the seed in situ in April.

Known Hazards

The pollen of this plant is a major cause of hayfever in N. America[207, 222]. Ingesting or touching the plant can cause allergic reactions in some people[222].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest.
Hitchcock. C. L.
Author: Hitchcock. C. L.
Rating:
Publisher : A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.
Date of Publication : 1955

An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Author: Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
Date of Publication : 1970

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