Wormwood (English spelling) absinthe

A perennial plant of the Asteraceae family. Native to Europe, it is distributed in southern Siberia and Kashmir, and is cultivated in southern Europe, northern Africa, and North and South America. The stem is highly branched and can reach a height of 1.5 meters. Its overall shape resembles that of mugwort, but the leaves have a strong bitter taste that lingers when chewed. There are no stipules at the base of the petiole, and both sides of the leaves are covered with white silky hairs. The flower bed is also hairy, and the flower head is 3 to 5 mm in diameter and is wider than it is tall, making it distinct from mugwort. There are many variations in wild mugwort, but it is said that these are hybrids with closely related species. The leaves are broadly ovate, alternate, and deeply pinnately lobed 2 to 3 times. In summer, many small flower heads are produced in panicles. The flower head is pale yellow, the peripheral florets are female, and the central floret is bisexual. The outer part of the involucre is linear, the inner part is wide, and the edge is thin and membranous. The achene is obovate, 1.5 mm long, without pappus, and bitter when chewed. The strong fragrance is due to the essential oil content of about 2%, and the main component is thujone, which also has an anthelmintic effect. The bitterness is due to the bitterness of the absinthe, and it is used medicinally as an aromatic bitter stomachic, tonic, antipyretic, and bile secretion promoter. It is also used to make absinthe, but its use was prohibited in Europe and the United States. It has since been approved under certain conditions. Recently, aniseed has been used. This is because the local irritation effect of thujone becomes stronger when this plant is taken in large quantities or continuously, and it is considered dangerous.

[Motoo Nagasawa]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

キク科の多年草。ヨーロッパ原産でシベリア南部、カシミールに分布し、ヨーロッパ南部、アフリカ北部、南北アメリカで栽培されている。茎は多く分枝し、高さは1.5メートルに達する。全形はヨモギに似るが、葉をかむと強い苦味があとまで残る。葉柄の基部に仮托葉(かたくよう)はなく、葉の両面には白い絹毛が多い。また、花床にも毛があり、頭花の径は3～5ミリで、高さよりも幅が広い点でヨモギと区別できる。野生のニガヨモギには変異が多いが、これは近縁種との雑種であろうといわれている。葉は広卵形で互生し、2～3回羽状に深裂する。夏に小さな多数の頭花を円錐(えんすい)花序につける。頭花は淡黄色で、周辺の小花は雌性、中心の小花は両性で、総包の外片は線形、内片は幅広く縁(へり)は薄い膜質となる。痩果(そうか)は倒卵形で長さ1.5ミリ、冠毛はなく、かむと苦い。全体に強い芳香があるのは精油を約2％含むためで、ツヨンを主成分とするので駆虫作用もある。全体が苦いのは苦味質のアブシンチンを含むためで、芳香性苦味健胃、強壮、解熱、胆汁分泌促進剤として薬用に供する。アブサン酒をつくるときにも用いられるが、欧米では使用が禁止されていた。その後、条件付きで承認されている。最近ではアニスの実が使われている。これは、本植物を多量に、また継続的に服用するとツヨンの局所刺激作用が強くなり、危険視されているためである。

［長沢元夫］

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