It is also known as Artemisia Vulgaris in Latin, which is a perennial herb in the composite family. Regularly it can be found along open hillsides, grassy areas, and margin of forests. The best harvesting timing is from May to July when their leaves are in their utmost luxuriance while without blooming yet. And drying in ventilated shade is the way to make them with best medicinal effect.

Mugwort leaves are shrunk and wrinked with short stalk after drying. The intact one is in oval shape, with pinnate parted in elliptic-lanceolate, irregular margin with coarsely sharply serrate. The upper surface is grayish-green with sparse pubescence and glandular dots; Lower surface is covered with thick whitish pubescence. The preferred one should be with thick leaf, green in color, whitish on lower surface, thick pubescence, and rich aroma.

WHAT IS MUGWORTH USED FOR?
It is bitter, acrid, and warm in nature. And Liver, Spleen, and Kidney are the three Channels it effectively acts on. Main clinical usage and indications are spitting blood, nosebleed, menstrual disorders, hemafecia, uterine bleeding, period pain, bleeding during pregnancy, restless fetus, chest and abdomen pain due to cold, Diarrhea and prolonged dysentery, Abnormal Vaginal Discharge, Eczema, sores and ringworm etc. Usual dosage is from 3 to 9 grams in decoction.

Mugwort herb

BAI YE TANG (SOUP)
Bai Ye Tang is mainly for vomiting blood due to the middle-burner Qi losing its control over blood. This formula is especially designed for deficiency-cold in middle-Jiao lead to Qi's failure of controlling blood, thus the blood deviation of from the meridians. Ce Bai Ye (Biota Leaves) in this formula is looking to mitigate the ascending tendency while inducing astringency; Gan Jiang (dried ginger) works to warm the middle Burner, dispel cold, and descend the adverse movement of Qi; In addition to warm the meridians and stop bleeding itself, mugwort herb works together with dried ginger to motivate spleen yang to regulate blood; The juice of Ma Tong is warm and guides the blood downwards in order to stop bleeding.

MOXIBUSTION THERAPIES
According to Compendium of Materia Medica (Ben Cao Gang Mu), moxibustion with mugwort cones cures a variety of diseases. Moxibustion practice is quite similar to acupuncture and the difference between them is the tool used, the choice of needle or burning cone. Moxa is fragrant, inflammable and with warming fire, which is capable of warming associated channels to dispel cold, strengthen Yang-Qi to stop draining away, remove stasis of the blood to dissipate stagnation, and prevent diseases to have a long life. And the weights of them are varied from 3 to 10 grams.