Tarragon

Tarragon

Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Artemisia
Species:
A. dracunculus
Binomial name
Artemisia dracunculus
L.[1] not Hook.f. 1881
Synonyms[2]
Synonymy
  • Achillea dracunculus Hort. ex Steud.
  • Artemisia aromatica A.Nelson
  • Artemisia cernua Nutt.
  • Artemisia changaica Krasch.
  • Artemisia dracunculoides Pursh
  • Artemisia glauca Pall. ex Willd.
  • Artemisia inodora Hook. & Arn.
  • Artemisia inodora Willd.
  • Artemisia nutans Pursh
  • Artemisia nuttalliana Besser
  • Artemisia redowskyi Ledeb.
  • Draconia dracunculus (L.) Soják
  • Dracunculus esculentus Garsault
  • Oligosporus dracunculiformis (Krasch.) Poljakov
  • Oligosporus dracunculus (L.) Poljakov
  • Oligosporus glaucus (Pall. ex Willd.) Poljakov
  • Artemisia dracunculina S.Watson

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), also known as estragon, is a species of perennial herb in the family Asteraceae. It is widespread in the wild across much of Eurasia and North America and is cultivated for culinary and medicinal purposes.[3][4][5][6]

One subspecies, Artemisia dracunculus var. sativa, is cultivated to use the leaves as an aromatic culinary herb. In some other subspecies, the characteristic aroma is largely absent. Informal names for distinguishing the variations include "French tarragon" (best for culinary use) and "Russian tarragon".

Tarragon grows to 120–150 centimetres (4–5 feet) tall, with slender branches. The leaves are lanceolate, 2–8 cm (1–3 in) long and 2–10 mm (1⁄8–3⁄8 in) broad, glossy green, with an entire margin. The flowers are produced in small capitula 2–4 mm (1⁄16–3⁄16 in) diameter, each capitulum containing up to 40 yellow or greenish-yellow florets. French tarragon, however, seldom produces any flowers (or seeds).[7] Some tarragon plants produce seeds that are generally sterile. Others produce viable seeds. Tarragon has rhizomatous roots that it uses to spread and readily reproduce.

  1. ^ Artemisia dracunculus was described in Linnaeus's Species Plantarum 2:849. 1753. "Artemisia dracunculus". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2017-12-11.
  2. ^ "Artemisia dracunculus". The Global Compositae Checklist (GCC) – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
  3. ^ Shultz, Leila M. (2006). "Artemisia dracunculus". In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (ed.). Flora of North America North of Mexico (FNA). Vol. 19. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  4. ^ Lin, Yourun; Humphries, Christopher J.; Gilbert, Michael G. "Artemisia dracunculus". Flora of China. Vol. 20–21 – via eFloras.org, Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
  5. ^ "Artemisia dracunculus L.". Flora of Pakistan. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2018-08-19 – via Tropicos.org.
  6. ^ "Artemisia dracunculus [Assenzio dragoncello] - Flora Italiana". luirig.altervista.org. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference TBC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).