Cina, Santonica
Artemisia cina
Family: Asteraceae or Compositae
What it is like
Artemisia cina is a deciduous Shrub growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). It is in flower from August to October, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Wind. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.
Height (m): 1
Where it is found
Deserts.
E. Asia - Russia, Turkestan
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 0
Medicine
Rating: 3
Cina is one of the safest and most reliable vermifuges, used especially on children. Because of its bitter flavour, it is usually mixed with liquorice or some other pleasantly flavoured herb. The unexpanded floral heads and the seed contain the vermicide 'santonin'. This is an effective and rapid treatment for round worms, it is also effective for thread worms, though it does not affect tapeworms. The plant is also used as a febrifuge and as an aid to the digestion. Caution is advised in the use of this plant since it is poisonous in large doses. This plant should not be used by pregnant women. The dried flowers are used to make a homeopathic remedy. This is particularly useful for complaints of the nervous system and the digestive tract. A homeopathic remedy made from the plant is used to rid children of worms.
Digestive: Aids digestion.
Febrifuge: Reduces fevers.
Homeopathy: A plant used in homeopathic treatments.
Vermifuge: Expels and kills internal parasites.
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. Although this plant has woody stems, these tend to die back each winter giving the plant a herbaceous habit. It is cultivated as a medicinal plant in Russia and N. America. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Easily grown in a well-drained circumneutral or slightly alkaline loamy soil, preferring a sunny position. Established plants are very drought tolerant. Plants are longer lived, more hardy and more aromatic when they are grown in a poor dry soil. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagating it: Seed - surface sow from late winter to early summer in a greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Division in spring or autumn.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 0-0
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
Poisonous. Skin contact with some members of this genus can cause dermatitis or other allergic reactions in some people.