Tilesius’ wormwood at East Fork Chulitna Wayside
I saw this plant at the East Fork Chulitna Wayside and had no idea what it was. The plant was about 24 inches high and covered with pale yellowish brown blossoms. The leaves at the base of the plant are deeply divided into multiple, sharply-tipped lobes, and when I crushed one it gave off a pungent herbal aroma.
After some research I have decided it is probably wormwood, perhaps Tilesius’ wormwood (Artemisia tilesii Ledeb.), also known as Aleutian mugwort. Wormwoods are in the same family as sagebrush, mugwort, tarragon, and absinth.
