Plant species
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Artemisia glacialis
- Italian
- Endemism
Artemisia glacialis
(L.)
Glacier wormwood
debris, cliffs, stony pastures
July - August
Alpine
It is a species endemic to the Western Alps, where it occupies a range stretching from Valais to the Alpes-de-Provence. As the specific name glacialis – meaning ‘of the ice’ – partly suggests, it is found almost everywhere at high altitudes; in particular, it grows on limestone cliffs and scree above 2,000 metres.
A silvery-grey plant due to its dense downy covering, it forms dense clumps from which the flowering stems emerge. These are a highly distinctive feature of the plant, as they are grouped into dense, bright yellow apical clusters.
Due to its strong resemblance, it is often confused with Artemisia umbelliformis – the white genepì – and with Artemisia genipi – the black genepì – and is therefore mistakenly harvested for use in liqueurs. Compared to these two species, however, it has a significantly milder aroma, which makes it unsuitable for this purpose.