Scientific Family
Asteraceae
Synonyms
Artemisia caudata, Artemisia forwoodii, Oligosporus campestris, Oligosporus caudatus
Other common names
common sagewort
field wormwood
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Biennial
Height
10 to 30 inches
Riparian
Yes
A faintly aromatic plant which forms a rosette the first year and a seed head the second year. Height excludes the seed head.
Faintly aromatic. Flowers are rounded, subtended by a whorl of bracts which are up to 1/4 inch in diameter; disc florets do not set fruits; flowers are in mostly leafless and panicle-like stems up to 30 inches tall, well above the basal leaves.
Habitat
This plant is common throughout pastures and rangeland and is often found along ditches and near roads.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
0
High elevation
7300
Flower Characteristics
Flowers nod when mature in August and September.
Flower color
Pale yellow
Flower shape
Daisy or dandelion-like
Tubular
No
First bloom month
August
Last bloom month
September
Flower clusters
None
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves are blue-green and deeply lobed the first year and are sometimes divided into 3 thread-like segments when mature. Upright reddish colored stems are covered with leafy branches on their upper half.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Blue-green
Leaf shape
Pinnatifid
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruit type
Achene
Seed stalks can be up to 3 feet tall. Seeds mature in October.