Artemisia arborescens

It is a bushy plant typical from the Mediterranean maquis. It has a strong aromatic smell and erect stems, which are greyish-silver, hairy and very branched at the bottom. It grows on rocky coasts, calcareous cliffs and in scrubland areas, from 0 up to 1000 m above sea level. The name of the genus seems to be dedicated to Artemis, goddess of the nature, protector of medicinal plants, or to the Greek word "artemes" (= healthy) representing the medicinal properties of the plant. The epithet from Lat. "arborescens" ("arbor", tree) refers to the fact that it becomes a tree, a shrub high up to 2 m, such as many other species of the Artemisia. It smells like "vermouth" and contains active substances and essential oils that have anti-inflammatory, digestive, antihistaminic, antiviral and antimicrobial properties. Women used to prepare crucifixes made of Artemisia`s branches to put under the pillows of women in labour in order to alleviate pain and in sheds to calm untameable animals.