Norwegian mugwort  (Artemisia norvegica)

Listed as a priority species under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (3).

Norwegian mugwort is a rare alpine herb (3) that forms small, aromatic tufted plants (4). The deeply toothed leaves are hairy on both the upper and lower surfaces (2). The flowering stems are also hairy and bear a few silky leaves (4). The nodding flowers are yellowish in colour (2). The form of Norwegian mugwort found in Britain is known as variety scotica (2).

This native species was first discovered in 1950 in western Ross, northern Scotland. Since then it has been found at two further sites in the same region (5). Elsewhere it is also found in Norway and the Ural Mountains, Russia (4).

You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

Found on mountain tops, typically in exposed situations such as on or close to the summit. It has been found on bare rocky ground, in hollows between rocks and on Racomitrium heath (5).

Norwegian mugwort is a perennial plant that is able to spread by means of thickened, branching, creeping storage stems known as rhizomes. However, the importance of sexual reproduction by seeds compared to vegetative reproduction is yet to be determined (5). Little is understood of the ecology of this species, and further research is required, particularly into seed dispersal and viability, as this may prove to be the key that explains the very restricted range of this plant (3).

The reasons for the rarity of this mugwort are not understood. The populations of Norwegian mugwort tend to fluctuate in size, but they seem to be stable in the long-term (5).

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) lists the Norwegian mugwort as a priority species (3). The Species Action Plan that was produced to coordinate conservation efforts suggests that further research into the ecology of the species is needed in order to guide conservation measures (3). The Scottish Rare Plant Project, a joint project between Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, has funded research on a range of rare native Scottish plants, including Norwegian mugwort, and has raised public awareness of rare plants in Scotland (6).

There may be further information about this species available via the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

The UK Biodiversity Action Plan for this species is available at UK BAP.

See also: Scottish Natural Heritage:
http://www.snh.org.uk/
And the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh
http://www.rbge.org.uk/