Artemisia afra
Artemisia afra, commonly known as African wormwood, is a highly versatile medicinal shrub native to Southern Africa. Renowned for its potent aromatic properties, this plant is widely utilized in traditional healing to treat respiratory ailments, fevers, and digestive issues, serving as a vital cornerstone in many indigenous pharmacopeias.
- Scientific name: Artemisia afra
- Family: Asteraceae
- Native range: Europe
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Asterales. Finally, Artemisia afra is a member of the family Asteraceae and the genus Artemisia.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Asterales | WCVP |
| Family | Asteraceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Artemisia | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Artemisia afra, is recognized by various common names across different languages and regions. In Amharic, it is referred to as ኣሪቲ, while in Persian, it is called درمنه آفریقای جنوبی. The Afrikaans name for this species is Wilde-als, and in both Chinese (zh) and Simplified Chinese (zh-cn), it is known as 非洲苦艾.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| am | ኣሪቲ | Wikidata |
| fa | درمنه آفریقای جنوبی | Wikidata |
| af | Wilde-als | Wikidata |
| zh | 非洲苦艾 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 非洲苦艾 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 非洲苦艾 | Wikidata |
| tr | Acı Pelin | Wikidata |
| es | Absinthium tenuifolium | Wikidata |
| es | Artemisia pseudopontica | Wikidata |
| es | Artemisia balsamita | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution that spans multiple continents and climatic zones. In Middle Europe, its presence can be identified within the borders of Germany. Moving toward the northeast, it is also found across the tropical landscapes of Ethiopia. The species extends significantly into South Tropical Africa, where it grows in Angola and Zambia. Finally, its range reaches further into the southern regions of the continent within Zimbabwe.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Middle Europe | Germany | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Ethiopia | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Angola | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Zambia | WCVP |
| South Tropical Africa | Zimbabwe | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Botswana | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Cape Provinces | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Lesotho | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | Namibia | WCVP |
| Southern Africa | KwaZulu-Natal | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, known scientifically as Artemisia afra, is primarily valued for its therapeutic properties found within its aerial parts. The most significant medicinal components are concentrated in the leaves, which are often harvested to prepare traditional remedies. Each individual leaf contains essential oils that contribute to the plant's aromatic profile. In addition to the plant leaves, the stems also form part of the harvested material, though the foliage remains the most potent element of the species.- Total parts
- 8
- Scientific sources
- 14
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| leaves | 5 | ★★★☆☆ |
| leaf | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| aerial parts | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stems | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| plant leaves | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| essential oils | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Leaves | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Leaf | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Artemisia afra has 45 reported phytochemicals identified across 55 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include acacetin, flavonoids, artemisinin, chrysoeriol, genkwanin.
- Total chemicals
- 45
- Scientific sources
- 55
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| acacetin | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| flavonoids | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| artemisinin | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| chrysoeriol | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| genkwanin | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-26,23-lactone | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 3,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 4-caffeoylquinic acid | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)chromen-4-one | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AN | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Artemisia afra has 3 reported activities identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Antimalarial.
- Total activities
- 3
- Scientific sources
- 7
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimalarial | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Artemisia afra has 25 reported medicinal uses identified across 35 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include malaria, Mycobacterium smegmatis, tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Plasmodium falciparum.
- Total uses
- 25
- Scientific sources
- 35
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| malaria | 4 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Mycobacterium smegmatis | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| tuberculosis | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Mycobacterium tuberculosis | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Plasmodium falciparum | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| SARS-CoV-2 | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| COVID-19 | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Diabetes mellitus | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Escherichia coli | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Mycobacterium abscessus | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |