Artemisia absinthium, also known as grand wormwood or common wormwood, is a herbaceous perennial plant from the Artemisia genus, from the vast Compositae family. It takes its name from Artemis, the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt; protector of the forest and children. It is a hardy plant with stems averaging 1 metre in height with greenish-grey foliage covered in silver-white trichomes (fine outgrowths). The flowers are a pale yellow, and form in drooping clusters from early summer to autumn. Wormwood is very bitter in taste, so its use in absinthe is complimented by many other sweeter herbs. The use of wormwood in a drink is documented thousands of years before absinthe; its earliest medical use is recorded circa 1550 BC, when mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus of ancient Egypt. There is also evidence of wormwood remedies in ancient Greece when wormwood was soaked in wine to create absinthites oinos. This would have been prescribed for symptomatic pain relief - for rheumatism to period pain |
