African wormwood

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• African wormwood
• Wild Wormwood

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

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.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

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.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Artemisia afra is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to diverse topographic gradients, allowing it to inhabit a broad spectrum of environments. This species demonstrates a significant altitudinal plasticity, thriving across an extensive elevational range that spans from as low as 20 m AMSL to a maximum of 2440 m AMSL. Such a wide vertical distribution suggests that the plant is capable of tolerating varied thermal regimes, atmospheric pressures, and moisture availability, ranging from lowland coastal or subtropical regions to high-altitude montane ecosystems. This ecological breadth enables it to occupy diverse niches within its native landscape, facilitating its survival in both temperate and more extreme highland habitats.

Elevational range max:

2440 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

20 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Artemisia afra is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons rather than completing its cycle within a single year. As a long-lived species, it establishes a robust presence in its native habitats, often developing extensive root systems that support its survival through varying environmental conditions. This perennial nature enables the plant to undergo repeated cycles of vegetative growth and seasonal flowering, contributing to its long-term stability within its ecosystem. Throughout its life cycle, the plant exhibits a resilient growth pattern that allows it to endure fluctuations in moisture and temperature, maintaining its biological functions over many years.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Artemisia afra is characterized by a woody growth form, functioning as a self-supporting herb. As a terrestrial plant, it does not exhibit aquatic or epiphytic tendencies and operates as an independent organism rather than a parasite. The plant's stature varies significantly depending on environmental conditions, with a height ranging from a minimum of 0.3 m to a maximum of 2 m, maintaining an average plant height of approximately 1 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2 m

Plant height mean:

1 m

Plant height min:

0.3 m

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Artemisia afra is characterized by specialized metabolic pathways and adaptive mechanisms designed for survival in diverse environmental conditions. As a member of the Asteraceae family, its physiological processes are heavily focused on the synthesis and secretion of diverse secondary metabolites, particularly volatile essential oils such as terpenoids, which serve critical roles in chemical defense and thermoregulation. The plant exhibits robust photosynthetic efficiency, utilizing its leaf structure to optimize light interception while managing transpiration rates in varying humidity levels. Regarding its nutrient acquisition processes, Artemisia afra does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria (such as rhizobia) required to convert atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms; instead, it relies on the uptake of nitrates and ammonium from the soil through its root system. Its physiological resilience is further supported by complex osmotic adjustments that allow it to maintain cellular turgor and metabolic functionality during periods of water scarcity.

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Artemisia afra is characterized by the production of small seeds that exhibit significant variation in weight. The seed mass within a population shows a mean value of 0.000213333 g, reflecting the typical energetic investment per individual propagule. However, the reproductive output demonstrates a broad spectrum of seed sizes, with a maximum recorded seed mass of 0.00048 g and a minimum mass as low as 0.00005 g. This range in seed mass suggests a diverse strategy in seed development, which may influence dispersal capabilities and initial seedling vigor during the establishment phase.

Seed mass max:

0.00048 g

Seed mass mean:

0.000213333 g

Seed mass min:

5e-05 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Artemisia afra has 2 reported plant parts identified across 9 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, stem.

Leaf

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
3. Ecology and evolution
4. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Stem

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Chemicals

Artemisia afra has 44 reported phytochemicals identified across 9 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, acacetin, artemisinin, Chrysoeriol, Genkwanin.

Flavonoids

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR
2. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
3. Journal of AOAC International
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

acacetin

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR
2. Fitoterapia
3. Natural product research
4. Journal of AOAC International

artemisinin

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
4. Natural product reports

Chrysoeriol

1. Fitoterapia
2. Journal of AOAC International

Genkwanin

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR
2. Journal of AOAC International

25-hydroxyvitamin d3-26,23-lactone

1. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

3,5-Di-O-caffeoylquinic acid

1. Fitoterapia

4-Caffeoylquinic acid

1. Fitoterapia

5-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2-(4-methoxyphenyl)chromen-4-one

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

AN

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Activities

Artemisia afra has 3 reported activities identified across 9 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Antimalarial.

Antioxidant

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
2. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Natural product research
4. BMC complementary and alternative medicine

Antidiabetic

1. Natural product research
2. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Antimalarial

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Conditions

Artemisia afra has 25 reported investigations on conditions identified across 9 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include malaria, Mycobacterium smegmatis, tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Plasmodium falciparum.

Malaria

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
4. Ethiopian journal of health sciences

Mycobacterium smegmatis

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
3. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Tuberculosis

1. Tuberculosis (Edinburgh, Scotland)
2. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Mycobacterium tuberculosis

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Plasmodium falciparum

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Sars-cov-2

1. Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)
2. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Covid-19

1. Rwanda journal of medicine and health sciences

Diabetes mellitus

1. Natural product communications

Escherichia coli

1. Ethiopian journal of health sciences

Mycobacterium abscessus

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Artemisia afra has 31 reported preparations identified across 9 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include extracts, infusions, 80% ethanol, acetone crude extract, aqueous extract.

Extracts

1. Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.)
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)

Infusions

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

80% ethanol

1. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Acetone crude extract

1. Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland)

Aqueous extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Aqueous leaf extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Aqueous- extracts

1. Tuberculosis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Capsules

1. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Crude acetone extracts

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Crude dried leaves

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology