This common "wormwood" is a subshrubby perennial that has long been cultivated for its biochemical properties, but it has only become widely naturalized in northern regions of North America (PL). It is unclear if the single coll. from Ky. (BALL at MUR) represents a wild population or a rare garden-escape. A, absinthium has ancient medicinal uses and became famous during 19th Century for its use in the alcoholic drink "absinthe"; it has complex chemistry, with varied monoterpene ketones (incljuding toxic thujone), sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids, polyacetylenes and phenolics (Deans & Kennedy 2001).