MUGWORT
(Artemisia Vulgaris)

Also known as : Felon herb, Common Wormwood, Common Mugwort, Douglas Mugwort, St. John’s Plant, Sailor’s Tobacco. Artemisa (spanish)

Family : Asteraceae.

Genus : Artemisia.

Plant part used : Flowers, leaves and stem.

Magical Mugwort

It is one of the world's oldest medicinal plants. Artemis is a herbaceous perennial plant of the family Compositae. Displays a though angular and striated slender, usually hairless stems, reaching between 50 and 120 centimeters tall. Regarded as a kind of wormwood, not only morphologically but also for its medicinal properties. Artemis leaves of dark green color beam and whitish below, because the hair that covers them, are divided into deep and acute slices 5-8 mm wide. The flowers grow in long clusters at the tip of the stem, in heads from ten to twelve flowers each. The flowers and reddish ovoid form small chapters gathered in panicles. These blades are those that accumulate higher healing properties. The Chinese have used dried leaves Artemis moxibustion (moxa), a technique of Chinese medicine.

LOCATION:

The Artemis breeding banks, embankments, hedges and along roadsides; likes to grow in the rubble, and as a weed in the areas sown with grass. It grows in an environment that is not too hot and dry. It is native to Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America. In the Iberian Peninsula it is common in the northern regions in the Pyrenees (from Alt Empordà to the western end), Cantabria and Galicia.

FLOWERING AND HARVEST:

Flowering time: In summer, in late June and early July. Although the Pyrenean valleys, usually flowers later.

Harvest: Flowering tips and leaves. From July to September.

PICKING:

* LEAVES and FLOWERS: They are harvested in summer. Once collected the useful parts are dried in air or dryer.

CONSTITUENTS:

Essential oils mainly composed cineol and thujone, resins, mucilage, tannins, adenine, choline, vitamin A, vitamin B and C.

PROPERTIES:

* Emmenagogue, tonic, appetizer, digestive, emollient, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiseptic, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, anticonvulsant.

CONTRAINDICATIONS:

In high doses it can cause nervous disorders and even convulsions, especially in children. This is due to the thujone.

Consumption should also be avoided in pregnant women because it can negatively interfere with fetal development.

Mugwort pollen can cause allergy.

USED TO:

• Wormwood has been traditionally used to regulate menstruation, painful and difficult periods (take a few days before menstruation occurs).

• Mugwort leaves as a hot poultice, below the navel, causing menstruation.

• Strengthens the array of women.

• If abortion, can be retained some blood clots inside. Sage tea helps dissolve clots. This can be taken 3 to 4 cups daily.

• This plant is particularly indicated in cases of anorexia, anemia, slow and heavy digestions.

• Colic and stomach problems.

• Mucus, chronic diarrhea.

• Disinfectant action of the digestive tract.

• Worms and general antiparasitic.

• Jaundice.

• Activates the kidney.

• Dropsy and water retention.

• Neuralgia.

• Depression, stress, hysteria.

• On an emotional level contributes to the stabilization in cases of scares, sorrows, pains, disappointments, bereavement or suffering from various causes.

• Back pain and / or rheumatic.

• People with epilepsy can also benefit from Artemis, for it takes into account the time you feel dizzy or are about to have a seizure, take a hot mugwort tea and sit back and cover your to sweat a little.

• It is used as an aromatic plant to flavor beef, lamb and poultry.

• The infusion of mugwort is used to help in divination, meditation and all forms of psychic development.

USED TO: • Wormwood has been traditionally used to regulate menstruation, painful and difficult periods (take a few days before menstruation occurs).