Alpine Mugwort

(Achillea erba rotta All. subsp. moschata (Wulf.) Vaccari, Compositae)

Also Called: Musk Achillea.

Description: Perennial plant forming swards of many small rosettes and numerous flowering stems 10-25cm (4-10in) high.
Leaves of basal rosette and of flowering stems dark green, glabrous or slightly downy, elongated, finely pinnate.
Capitula arranged in groups of 2-5 on the flowering stems; each 1.5cm
(0.6in) in diameter, ray-florets with brightly white ligules, tubular florets greenish-yellow; involucral bracts green.
Flowering: June-August.

Part Used: Flowering plant, either fresh or dried.

Habitat and Collection: Exclusively alpine; found abundantly in pastures, waste and rocky places on non-calcareous soils.
Growing at altitudes of 1,500 to 3,000m (4,900-9,800 ft).
The plants are collected when in flower and dried in the shade below 35° C (95° F).
Not found in Britain.

Constituents and Action: Alpine mugwort contains abundant volatile oil and small amounts of a bitter principle.
The oil stimulates gastric secretion and improves appetite; it is feebly diuretic and has a mild antitussive action.

Usage: Mainly in the form of a liqueur (macerate 300g (10oz) of fresh plants or 75-100g (2-3.5oz) of dried plants in 1 litre (1.75pt) of 45% alcohol for 10 days, shaking frequently; decant and add sugar or syrup to taste).
Rarely as a tisane (infuse 1-2 tablespoonfuls of drug in 1 litre (1.75pt) of hot water and allow to stand).
Principal uses are: lack of appetite, sluggish digestion; flatulence, diarrhoea; rarely for coughs.