Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_5073.JPG-08-23-2020
Flower name (scientific): Artemisia ludoviciana Nuttall PY: 1818. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) ar-te-MIZ-i-a loo-doh-vik-ee-AH-nuh
Flower name (common): White Sage
Family name (common): Aster
Family name (scientific): Asteraceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: From the name Artemis, Greek goddess of hunting, wild nature, and chastity, or (in Roman mythology) Diana. Referring to the gynaecological use of a species of the genus Artemisia (possibly mugwort, A. vulgaris), and its association of Artemis as a protectress during childbirth.
    Specific epithet: From the Latin for Louisiana, referencing the species origin.
Common name origin: From Middle English sauge, formerly used as a medicinal herb. White referring to the color of bracts, stalks, and leaves, from a dense covering of fine white hairs.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.1 to 0.2 inches (3 to 5 mm)
     Petal count: 0 (flowers are petal-less)
     Color: yellow (buds are whiteish)
     Other: flower arrangement, Panicle
Plant description:
     Size: 12 to 36 inches (30 to 91 cm)
     Stem hairy: Dense white hairs present.
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is simple
     Size: Leaves up to about 10 cm long and up to approximaely 3 to 4 cm wide.
     Color: Medium green, or gray-green, or white, the latter due to the presence of a dense covering of white hairs. Lower surface may be more whitish than the upper surface.
     Hairy: Typically densely covered with white hairs.
     Other: Shape: leaf, linear to broadly elliptic (FNA), usually oblanceolate, narrowly ovate, or linear (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Uncommon
Bloom time (typical): July to October
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Disturbed sites, roadsides, prairies, sun, dry.
Fruit:
Seed: Tan to brown colored, about 1 mm in length.
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Artemisia serrata (Saw-tooth Wormwood) has some resemblance and Artemisia frigida (Prairie Sagewort) a more vague similarity. The latter species has a very different leaf appearance, and the former species has toothed leaves, whereas Artemisia ludoviciana has entire (toothless) leaves.
Ethnobotany: The Meskwaki used this plant as a dermatological aid, a throat aid, and a tuberculosis medicine (Smith, p. 211, 1928; Moerman, pp. 97-98, 1998). The Ojibwe used this plant to provide a medicine for horses (Smith, p. 363, 1932). At least sixteen other tribes used the plant for medicinal purposes. The plant was also utilized as a food source, for fiber, and for other uses such as an insecticide and for ceremonial items (Moerman, pp. 97-98, 1998).
Latitude: 44.795438
Longitude: -91.513572
Altitude: 293.90
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Grant, Green, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washburn, Waukesha, Waupaca, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (AB, BC, MB, NB, NT, ON, PE, QC, SK) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 3 homotypic synonyms for this species.
Heterotypic Synonym(s): na
Autonym: Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. ludoviciana (The other accepted subspecies are Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. albula (Wooton) D. D. Keck, Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. candicans (Rydberg) D. D. Keck, Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. incompta (Nuttall) D. D. Keck, Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. lindleyana (Besser) Lesica, Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. mexicana (Willdenow ex Sprengel) D. D. Keck, Artemisia ludoviciana subsp. redolens (A. Gray) D. D. Keck. All these subspecies occur in North America.)
Wetland Status (NC): UPL
Wetland Status (MW): UPL