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Absinthe, Artemisia absinthium

Family of compositae

That is a plant which commonly grows in marly soils near ruins and deserted cottages; it can be one metre high and its fame is due to French writers and poets who, at the end of the past century, used to drink a liqueur obtained by infusing this plant with alcohol.

Use
The infusion of absinthe in white wine is used as digestive tonic but at the same time it is useful to decrease temperature. The smell of the plant moves away insects, so it is possible to leave it to infuse in the bath of our pets and it can also be used like an insecticide against the small insects of roses. In the past times its juice was used to cure scabies.

Picture and text of Tebaldo Lorini
Translated by Gianna Toni