ABSTRACT
Artemisia is a large, diverse genus of plants with between 200 and 400 species belonging to the daisy family Asteraceae. It comprises hardy herbs and shrubs known for their volatile oils. They grow in temperate climates of the Northern and Southern hemispheres, usually in dry or semidry habitats. The fern-like leaves of many species are covered with white hairs. Some botanists split the genus into several genera, but DNA analysis (Watson et al. 2002)does not support the existence of the genera Crossostephium, Filifolium, Neopallasia, Seriphidium, and Sphaeromeria; three other segregated genera-Stilnolepis, Elachanthemum, and Kaschgaria-are maintained by this evidence.
