Artemisia pontica, the Roman Wormwood or Small Absinthe, is a cousin of Grand Wormwood and the preferred herb used in the production of absinthe and vermouth. Originating in south eastern Europe (the specific name refers to the Pontus area on the shores of the Black Sea).
It is naturalised over much of Eurasia from France to Xinjiang, and is also found in the wild in north eastern North America.
It is sometimes called Little or Small Absinthe because it is smaller in stature and leaf than the Grand Absinthe (Artemisia absinthium) also known as Grand Wormwood.
It grows as a rhizomatous perennial with erect stems up to 100 centimetres tall; the grey foliage is finely divided and aromatic. The flowers are small, yellowish, and appear in loose panicles at stem tips.
The word “wormwood” comes from Middle English “wormwode” or “wermode”. The form “wormwood” is influenced by the traditional use as a cure for intestinal worms. Webster’s Third New International Dictionary attributes the etymology to Old English “wermōd” (compare with German Wermut and the derived drink Vermouth). An alternate explanation dubiously combines the Old English “wer”, meaning “man” (as in “werewolf”), with OE “mōd”, meaning “mood”.
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