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47-570: The original Torch Festival, according to some scholars, was based on a calendar used by Bai and Yi people in ancient times. The calendar included 10 months, 36 days in a month, and two Star Returning Festivals in winter and summer respectively. The two Star Returning Festivals were both considered the New Year, and the one in summer was called the Torch Festival as people often lighted a torch on that day. There are also many other legends about

94-488: A botanist and medical researcher (also a queen and naval commander), who died in 350  BCE . Classification of Artemisia is difficult. Divisions of Artemisia prior to 2000 into subgenera or sections have not been backed up by molecular data, but much of the molecular data, as of 2006, are not especially strong. The following identified groups do not include all the species in the genus. Subgenera Artemisia and Absinthium are sometimes, but not always, considered

141-578: A lack of consistent artemisinin content, the content being low enough that recurrence of malaria often occurs, that the use of the plant may contribute to widespread artemisinin resistance, and that the plant form is not effective in malaria prevention. Artemisia herba-alba is thought to be the plant translated as "wormwood" in English language versions of the Bible ( apsinthos in the Greek text). Wormwood

188-568: A month in advance, with people gathering wormwood to make torches. Wormwood is especially popular around Liangshan , where it is believed to ward off evil. Typically, three torches are made per person. The custom of holding a torch to shed light on tree and field was found in Han people in Southern Song dynasty . In Ming and Qing dynasties , people in Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces had

235-501: A role in traditional herbal remedies. Terpenoids contribute to the scent of eucalyptus , the flavors of cinnamon , cloves , and ginger , the yellow color in sunflowers , and the red color in tomatoes . Well-known terpenoids include citral , menthol , camphor , salvinorin A in the plant Salvia divinorum , ginkgolide and bilobalide found in Ginkgo biloba and the cannabinoids found in cannabis. The provitamin beta carotene

282-403: A selective advantage. The small flowers are wind-pollinated . Artemisia species are used as food plants by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species. The genus was erected by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. The name Artemisia derives from the Greek goddess Artemis (Roman Diana), the namesake of Greek Queens Artemisia I and II. A more specific reference may be to Artemisia II of Caria ,

329-538: Is a terpene derivative called a carotenoid . The steroids and sterols in animals are biologically produced from terpenoid precursors. Sometimes terpenoids are added to proteins , e.g., to enhance their attachment to the cell membrane ; this is known as isoprenylation . Terpenoids play a role in plant defense as prophylaxis against pathogens and attractants for the predators of herbivores. Terpenoids are modified terpenes , wherein methyl groups have been moved or removed, or oxygen atoms added. Some authors use

376-596: Is administered as pure artemisenin. Tu Youyou received the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her discovery of the semisynthetic derivatives. She conducted research on traditional Chinese medicine and potential contributions to cures for malaria, on the basis of folk medicine and ancient Chinese texts. Before Tu and her team discovered artemisinin , 240,000 compounds had already been tested for use in potential antimalaria drugs, none of which had worked. From reviewing ancient Chinese texts, they found that

423-588: Is administered by Plant Heritage (formerly National Council for Conservation of Plants and Gardens, NCCPG ) in the British Isles. Artemisinin (from Artemisia annua ) and derivatives are a group of compounds used to treat malaria . Treatments containing an artemisinin derivative ( artemisinin-combination therapies ) are now standard treatment worldwide for malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum . Administering Artemisia annua as dried whole leaves may cause resistance to develop more slowly than if it

470-547: Is known as Dusty Miller, but several other species bear that name, including Jacobaea maritima (syn. Senecio cineraria ), Silene coronaria (syn. Lychnis coronaria ), and Centaurea cineraria . The largest collection of living Artemisia species, subspecies and cultivars is held in the National Collection of Artemisia in Sidmouth , Devon , UK , which holds about 400 taxa. The National Collection scheme

517-587: Is mentioned seven times in the Jewish Bible , always with the implication of bitterness. It is mentioned once in the New Testament . Wormwood is the "name of the star" in the Book of Revelation 8:11 ( kai to onoma tou asteros legetai ho Apsinthos ) that John of Patmos envisions as cast by the angel and falling into the waters, making them undrinkably bitter. Further references in the Bible show wormwood

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564-414: Is not uncommon, however Tridentatae exhibits a remarkable amount of chromosomal differences at the population level, rather than the taxon level. This contributes to the difficulty in determining Tridentatae's phylogeny. The subgenus' relative homogeneity within ploidies has enabled it to habitually hybridize and backcross, resulting in a high degree of genetic variation at the population level rather than

611-444: Is traditional to eat beef on the Torch Festival for good luck. Other traditional foods include noodles and fruit. It is customary to clean one's house, wear fine clothing, and hold sporting events including wrestling , horse races , and bullfights . In modern times, the festival has become a tourist attraction. In Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture , it is a local public holiday lasting multiple days. In 2024, it begins on 29 July in

658-494: Is widely used as a culinary herb , particularly important in French cuisine . Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort) was used to repel midges (mug > midge), fleas and moths , intestinal worms, and in brewing (mugwort beer, mugwort wine) as a remedy against hangovers and nightmares. Artemisia absinthium is used to make the highly potent spirit absinthe . Malört also contains wormwood. The aperitif vermouth (derived from

705-701: The Flora of North America , exclude any New World plants from Seriphidium . They are herbaceous plants or small shrubs. Seriphidium Besser was morphologically categorized by a homogamous flower head with all hermaphrodite florets and fertile and glabrous receptacle. Tridentatae was originally categorized as within Seriphidium due to floral, inflorescence, and leaf morphological similarities, until McArthur et al.'s analysis in 1981, which explained these similarities as convergent evolution. Old World Seriphidium , with 125 species native to Europe and temperate Asia,

752-628: The German word Wermut , "wormwood") is a wine flavored with aromatic herbs, but originally with wormwood. Artemisia arborescens (tree wormwood, or sheeba in Arabic ) is an aromatic herb indigenous to the Middle East used in tea, usually with mint . A few species are grown as ornamental plants , the fine-textured ones used for clipped bordering. All grow best in free-draining sandy soil, unfertilized, and in full sun. Artemisia stelleriana

799-466: The Gregorian calendar . Artemisia (plant) Artemisia ( / ˌ ɑːr t ɪ ˈ m iː z i ə / ) is a large, diverse genus of plants belonging to the daisy family, Asteraceae , with almost 500 species. Common names for various species in the genus include mugwort , wormwood , and sagebrush . Some botanists split the genus into several genera, but DNA analysis does not support

846-531: The hydroxyl radical ) and to a lesser extent by ozone . These new species can dissolve into water droplets and contribute to aerosol and haze formation. Secondary organic aerosols formed from this pathway may have atmospheric impacts. As an example the Blue Ridge Mountains in the U.S. and Blue Mountains of New South Wales in Australia are noted for having a bluish color when seen from

893-610: The 5-carbon compound isoprene and its derivatives called terpenes , diterpenes , etc. While sometimes used interchangeably with "terpenes", terpenoids contain additional functional groups , usually containing oxygen. When combined with the hydrocarbon terpenes, terpenoids comprise about 80,000 compounds. They are the largest class of plant secondary metabolites, representing about 60% of known natural products . Many terpenoids have substantial pharmacological bioactivity and are therefore of interest to medicinal chemists. Plant terpenoids are used for their aromatic qualities and play

940-806: The Elkhorn Mountain region, where the Juniper Woodlands form an ecosystem which provide cover for many animal species in both summer and winter months and storms. Because the habitat should burn only every 400–600 years, with sagebrush shrubs living as long as 200 years (though potentially typically 88), this particular combination of Artemisia with other flora form an enduring habitat. As it often goes, however, governments and farming businesses have often cleared sagebrush-juniper communities to create land for cow and domestic animal feedcrops, and Artemisia species may be declining due to this and invasive species such as cheatgrass. Destabilization of

987-560: The World Online accepted almost 500 species. Artemisia species are found on every continent except Antarctica, and have become part of many ecosystems around the world as a result. Below is currently a partial view of the importance of Artemisia species in ecosystems around the world. In North America, several species of Artemisia have become important parts of local environments, with wide adaptability. Artemisia papposa described by S.F.Blake & Arthur Cronquist can grow in

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1034-433: The basis of leaf morphology, habitat preference, and the ability to leaf-sprout, among other morphological and behavioral characteristics. For instance, sagebrush in the A. tridentata lineage have tridentate leaves, live in especially arid habitats, and are unable to root-sprout. This method of delimitation is problematic for species that do not fully adhere to the characteristics of a given lineage. The dry habitat and

1081-417: The best-known is perhaps Artemisia dracunculus , the spice tarragon . Dracunculus Besser. has historically been characterized morphologically by a heterogamous flower head with female outer florets and hermaphrodite central florets, but with a female-sterile, glabrous receptacle. Dracunculus is the most supported and resolved subgenus of Artemisia , which includes Artemisia dracunculus L., known as

1128-411: The compound artemisinin was optimally extracted at lower temperatures, as high temperature water poured over sweet wormwood leaves destroyed essential treatment properties. The World Health Organization does not support the promotion or use of Artemisia plant material in any form for the prevention or treatment of malaria. They note that the plant form of medication has several problems. These include

1175-533: The cooking spice tarragon. Chloroplast and ribosomal DNA sequence analysis in 2011 supported monophyly with two clades, one of which includes some North American endemic species as well as most species of Europe and Asia, while the second clade includes just A. salsoloides and A. tanaitica , found in Eastern Europe and Siberia to the Western Himalayas. This study places Dracunculus as one of

1222-592: The custom as well. It most times started with the Emperor lighting the first flame of the bonfire after which he shared it with his Eunuchs and officials and these shared the fire with all other people in the kingdom. After the torch parade is the Bonfire Party. People play musical instruments like yueqin ( 月琴 ) and sanxian (three stringed plucked instrument), singing and dancing for a whole night. The festival also involves sacrifices of food and cattle. It

1269-516: The exception of A. longiloba , which is treated as a subspecies of A. arbuscula . Section Nebulae includes A. californica , A. nesiotica , and A. filifolia . The Old World species which different classifications put into the genus or subgenus Seriphidium consist of about 125 species native to Europe and temperate Asia, with the largest number of species in Central Asia. Some classifications, such as that of

1316-449: The flora in western North America. In some classifications, they have previously been considered part of the genus or subgenus Seriphidium , although recent studies have contested this lineage to Old World species. Tridentatae was first articulated as a section by Rydberg in 1916, and it was not until McArthur et al. in 1981 that Tridentatae was elevated to a separate subgenus from Seriphidium . The principal motive for their separation

1363-517: The genus or some subgenera, as qualities that previously demarcated them (such as homogamous, discoid, ray-less inflorescences) seemed to have undergone paralleled evolution up to seven times. Picrothamnus Nutt. ("bud sage"), now considered Artemisia spinescens and Sphaeromeria Nutt. ("chicken sage") are some examples, both endemic to North America. Section Tridentatae consists of eleven to thirteen species of coarse shrubs often known colloquially as "sagebrushes", which are very prominent parts of

1410-672: The harsh, dry expanses of alkali flats, but also adapts to meadowlands. Sagebrushes like A. papposa (of the Tridenteae subgenus) in general are found in the north and southwest areas of the North American continent. In the Intermountain West, in a habitat known as Sagebrush Steppe, A. tridentata , A. tripartite , and A. arbuscula grow alongside various grasses and species of bitter bush, creating an important environment for mule deer, pygmy rabbits, antelopes, and

1457-429: The hypothesis that Tridentatae has independent origins from Old World Seriphidium These findings were compared with capitula morphology, challenging past assumptions based on floral characteristics. To better understand the rapid diversification and radiation relative to Old World Artemisia , a closer study of Beriginian or Arctic species may provide missing links. Section Tridentatae includes above species with

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1504-484: The maintenance of the genera Crossostephium , Filifolium , Neopallasia , Seriphidium , and Sphaeromeria ; three other segregate genera— Stilnolepis , Elachanthemum , and Kaschgaria —are maintained by this evidence. Occasionally, some of the species are called sages, causing confusion with the Salvia sages in the family Lamiaceae . Artemisia comprises hardy herbaceous plants and shrubs , which are known for

1551-607: The more recent subgenera within Artemisia, situating A. salisoides more basally on the tree, with North American endemic groups such as the sagebrushes having derived on the other end of a split from a common ancestor with Dracunculus . Formerly proposed genera Mausolea , Neopallasia and Turaniphytum are now argued to be within the subgenus Dracunculus due to ribosomal and chloroplast DNA evidence, with further species resolved as sister groups to Dracunculus due to phytochemical relationships. As of June 2024 , Plants of

1598-414: The origin of the Torch Festival, yet all of them have the purpose of offering sacrifice to deities and dispelling ghosts, as a wish for a harvest. In the Torch Festival, every family needs to light a torch and hold the torch to illuminate the corners in the room and walk around the fields. Some villagers even have torch parade so as to drive away all bad lucks and pray for a harvest. Preparations may begin

1645-618: The powerful chemical constituents in their essential oils . Artemisia species grow in temperate climates of both hemispheres, usually in dry or semiarid habitats. Notable species include A. vulgaris (common mugwort), A. tridentata (big sagebrush), A. annua (sagewort), A. absinthium (wormwood), A. dracunculus ( tarragon ), and A. abrotanum (southernwood). The leaves of many species are covered with white hairs. Most species have strong aromas and bitter tastes from terpenoids and sesquiterpene lactones , which discourage herbivory , and may have had

1692-647: The presence of interxylary cork has often made the case for Tridentatae as a subgenus of its own, and there is some ribosomal molecular evidence of a " Tridentatae core" group for the subgenus. In 2011, Garcia and colleagues proposed enlarging Tridentatae and organized it into the sections Tridentatae , Nebulosae , and Filifoliae based on previous research establishing relationships via ribosomal and nuclear DNA. Intergrading forms are particularly common in recently radiated subgenera such as Tridentatae , given their frequent reversals and convergent evolution . Global reviews of Artemisia using ITS analysis support

1739-553: The presence of terpenoids. Terpenoids, at least those containing an alcohol functional group, often arise by hydrolysis of carbocationic intermediates produced from geranyl pyrophosphate . Analogously hydrolysis of intermediates from farnesyl pyrophosphate gives sesquiterpenoids , and hydrolysis of intermediates from geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate gives diterpenoids , etc. In air, terpenoids are converted into various species, such as aldehydes , hydroperoxides , organic nitrates, and epoxides by short-lived free radicals (like

1786-425: The sage grouse. Understanding the phylogenetic relationships among the sagebrushes has been helpful in understanding the relationships among these plants and their environments, as well as learning more about how these plants formed these communities over long stretches of time. Sagebrushes, which include A. ludoviciana and A. Tridentata among others, can often also be found growing near junipers, particularly in

1833-506: The same. Subgenus Artemisia (originally Abrotanum Besser) is characterized by a heterogamous flower head with female outer florets and hermaphrodite central florets, and a fertile, glabrous receptacle. Absinthium DC, though sometimes merged with subgenus Artemisia is characterized by heterogamous flower head with female outer florets and hermaphrodite central florets, and a fertile, hairy receptacle. Generally, previously proposed monotypic and non-monophyletic subgenera have been merged with

1880-495: The subgenus Artemesia due to molecular evidence. For example, in 2011 using ribosomal DNA analysis of their own and a review of molecular data (such as ITS sequence analysis) of others, S. Garcia and colleagues argued that it was logical to rename several Sphaeromeria and Picrothamnus (formerly designated sister genera to Artemisia ) species as Artemisia , as well as to revert some Sphaeromeria species back to Artemisia , where they had been categorized previously. Part of this

1927-500: The taxon level. For instance, some articles suggest that to be monophyletic, section Tridentatae should exclude Artemisia bigelovii and A. palmeri . and include A. pygmaea and A. rigida . These results were supported by extensive chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) and nrDNA sequencing which departed from prior morphological, anatomical, and behavioral data. Traditional lineages within Tridentatae were proposed on

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1974-432: The term "terpene" more broadly, to include the terpenoids. Just like terpenes, the terpenoids can be classified according to the number of isoprene units that comprise the parent terpene: Terpenoids can also be classified according to the type and number of cyclic structures they contain: linear, acyclic, monocyclic, bicyclic, tricyclic, tetracyclic, pentacyclic, or macrocyclic. The Salkowski test can be used to identify

2021-537: The vegetation creates higher risk of fires, causing concern among the local conservation and wildlife groups. Due to their often extensive rhizome systems and other potential characteristics, however, some Artemisia species are often resilient to mowing or pulling, giving some species of Artemisia the ability to easily become invasive if introduced to comfortable, though non-native habitats. The aromatic leaves of some species are used for flavouring. Most species have an extremely bitter taste. A. dracunculus (tarragon)

2068-514: Was a common herb known for its bitter taste. ( Deuteronomy 29:17 , Proverbs 5:4 , Jeremiah 9:15 , 25:15 , Lamentations 3:15,19 , Amos 5:7 ) In William Shakespeare 's play Hamlet , the titular character says "Wormwood, wormwood" to comment on the bitter implications of what the Player Queen has just said. Terpenoid The terpenoids , also known as isoprenoids , are a class of naturally occurring organic chemicals derived from

2115-487: Was a previous classification of Seriphidium . North American or "New World" Seriphidium and Old World Seriphidium . North American Seriphidium were later placed into Tridentatae Rydb due to geographical distribution, growth habit, and karyotypic and chemotaxonomic similarities (such as presence of certain terpenols). One group which is well-supported by molecular data is subgenus Dracunculus . It consists of 80 species found in both North America and Eurasia, of which

2162-412: Was due to research by Watson and colleagues, who found that the four subgenera were not monophyletic except for Dracunculus, after analyzing and matching the internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA from many Seriphidium and Artemisia species, and the related genera Arctanthemum and Dendranthema . The authors concluded that inflorescence morphology is not alone reliable for categorizing

2209-438: Was geographical distribution, chemical makeup, and karyotype. Much of the debate surrounding Tridentatae is phytogeographic, thus habitat and geography are frequently cited when understanding the evolution of this endemic North American subgenus. Evolutionary cycles of wet and dry climates encouraged "diploid and polyploid races which are morphologically similar if not indistinguishable" (McArthur 598). Autopolyploidy among plants

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