What are the uses and differences between mugwort grass and mugwort?

Mugwort and mugwort grass are quite similar, and it may be impossible to tell the difference between the two in the wild. So what are the uses and differences between mugwort grass and mugwort?

1. The difference between mugwort grass and mugwort

Mugwort leaf and mugwort grass both belong to the Asteraceae family. The scientific name of mugwort grass is Artemisia selengensis, while the scientific name of mugwort leaf is Artemisia argyi; the similarity of the names easily causes confusion. They often grow on field ridges, by the edges of fields, beside ponds and other places with abundant soil moisture. Moreover, mugwort leaf has a long growth cycle, starting in March and continuing to grow until May, but once mugwort grass passes Qingming Festival (around April), it has also passed its most tender stage.

Mugwort grass is shorter in height, and its main stem is relatively slender; the stem is dark red, and the best-growing mugwort grass is only about 10 cm. Mugwort leaf is different: its main stem is slightly thicker and longer, the stem is light green, and the root part near the ground is somewhat woody (relatively hard); some can reach 1.5 cm in diameter, with a height between 80 and 250 cm.

The leaves of mugwort grass are usually relatively narrow, with a whitish front surface and a layer of white down, soft and smooth, and the leaves are small; the serrated lines around them are deep, and the entire leaf is narrow and elongated. The surface of mugwort leaf, however, is grayish green with five lobes, the white down is on the back, and the leaf surface looks plump; compared with mugwort grass, the leaf blade is broader and larger, the serrations around the leaf are much smaller, and the back is densely covered with grayish white cobweb-like dense down.

Another way to distinguish them is by smell, but because both plants have a fragrance, unless one is especially experienced, it is relatively difficult to tell them apart. The fragrance of mugwort grass is on the lighter side, and some even carry a faint grassy odor. The smell of mugwort leaf, however, is slightly pungent, like cooling oil, and belongs to the “strong flavor” type. In addition, the stalks of mugwort are relatively soft, while those of mugwort grass are brittle and break easily.

2. The uses of mugwort grass and mugwort

1. The uses of mugwort: the whole plant is used as medicine, with effects such as warming the meridians, removing dampness, dispelling cold, stopping bleeding, reducing inflammation, relieving asthma, relieving cough, preventing miscarriage, and resisting allergies. The whole plant is used as an insecticidal pesticide or burned as smoke for room disinfection and insecticide. Dried and crushed mugwort is made into mugwort powder, which is a high-quality feed additive for livestock and poultry. It can also be used as a natural plant dye. The tender buds and young seedlings are used as vegetables.

2. The uses of mugwort grass: many species are used as medicine and are important or commonly used drugs for reducing inflammation, stopping bleeding, warming the meridians, relieving exterior syndromes, resisting malaria, and promoting bile flow, or for moxibustion; a few species are used as food; many species distributed in grassland and meadow areas are used as livestock feed; several shrub or semi-shrub species growing in desert or semi-desert areas have thick, deep, and long root systems, and their stems and branches have strong sprouting ability and tolerate drought and salinity, so they serve as pioneer plants for windbreaks and sand fixation, or as auxiliary plants.

Although the two look very similar, their uses are different, so they must be carefully distinguished to avoid confusion.