The Missouri Artemisias

Abstract

In the study of the few species of ARTEMISIA in this paper, I have experienced more difficulty than I ever encountered in the study of any group of species. Judging by the names given to the specimens by collectors, my own included, it appears that few persons understand or know the species. I was led to, make an examination and study of the Missouri species, by finding a patch of some species of Artemisia, near the mouth of the Kaw River in 1926, the stems of which were somewhat suffrutescent, the branches of the season and the flo,wering branches, springing from the old stems, of the previous year or years. No species of Artemisia being known to me for Missouri having this suffruteseent character, I was undecided as to whether it just happened that this patch only, showed this woody character, or if it was a species of the West, that had become introduced at this particular place, there being no doubt that it was introduced. In looking through the lists of Missouri plants and consulting authorities on the genus Artemisia, I noted some very interesting things, and these I will deal with further on in this paper. It is very apparent that very few of those who published lists of Missouri plants knew the species of Artemisia, and as I proceeded to consult the authorities, it became very apparent to me that they differed very widely from each other in their views and conceptions of the species, and the ranges of them. The first account of the species of Artemisia found in Missouri that I have found, is in Torrey and Gray (18), where six species are cited for Missouri; but at that time the term Missouri meant anywhere North of Louisiana, north to Canada and Montana; following Torrey & Gray is Pech (12), who lists A. canadensis in his catalogue for Louisiana, Missouri; the next list published of Missouri species, important in point (25)