Wormwood - Artemisia Absynthium
From Culpeper's Complete Herbal
Discrip.-This useful plant grows about a yard high ; the stalk is
pale green, tough, upright, and divided wildly into many branches : the leaves
are of a pale green on both sides, divided into many parts, soft to the touch,
but make the fingers bitter. The flowers are numerous, small, chaffy, hang
down, and of a pale olive colour at first ; but, after standing a while, the
grow brownish.
Place.-This is a perennial plant, growing every where.
Time.-it blooms in June and July.
Government and Virtues.-This is a martial herb, and is governed by
Mars. This is the strongest, the Sea Wormwood is the second in biterness, and
the Roman joins a great deal of aromatic flavour, with but little biterness ;
to aquire the full powers that they possess, they must be well known, for each
kind has its particular virtues. The two first grow wild in this country ; the
third is frequent in our botanic gardens, but is not confined to these places.
The common kind is excellent in weakness of the stomach, gout and gravel. The
leave and flowers are used.
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