Süstemaatiline kuuluvus (APG IV)
Riik: Taimed (Plantae)
Klaad: Soontaimed (Tracheophyta)
Klaad: Katteseemnetaimed (Angiospermae)
Klaad: Päriskaheidulehelised (Eudicotyledonae)
Selts: Astrilaadsed (Asterales)
Sugukond: Korvõielised (Asteraceae)
Perekond: Puju (Artemisia)
Liik: Hõbepuju - Artemisia arborescens L.

Botaaniline kirjeldus
Hõbepuju on mitmeaastane põõsas, mis kasvab 1–2 meetrit kõrguseks. Selle püstised varred on noorelt hallikarvased, vananedes muutuvad need alumises osas paljaks ja neil on selgesti eristuvad sooned.

Lehed on sulgjad, sügavalt lõhestunud. mõõtmetega 5–10 cm pikkused ja 3–7 cm laiused. Lehekesed on lamedad, lineaarsed kuni kitsad ovaalsed. Mõlemal pool lehe pinda esinevad tihedalt asetsevad hõbedased sametjad karvad, mis annavad taimele iseloomuliku välimuse. Ülemised lehed on peaaegu rootsuta ja terved.

Õisikuks on püstine kobar, mille õied on kergelt nõtkuvad ja umbes 5–7 mm läbimõõduga. Õisiku kattelehed on munajad, umbes 3 mm pikkused ja sametjad. Õisikupõhi on karvane. Õisikus putki arvukalt; sisemised õieputked on hermafrodiidid, viljakad ja värvuselt kreemikad kuni erkkollased, pinnalt paljad ja näärmelised. Hõbepuju viljadeks on soonilised või triibulised ja enam-vähem karvased seemned. Iseloomulikult puudub sellel taimeperekonnal pappus. [1]

Levila
Hõbepuju on tavaline aromaatne taim, mis kasvab piki Vahemere rannikut. Samuti võib teda leida Põhja-Aafrika riikidest, Liibüast Marokoni.  [2]

Toime ja kasutamine
Hõbepuju eeterlikul õlil on põletikuvastane toime. Taime on kasutatud isheemia sümptomite leevenduseks ning raviks. [3] Eeterlik õli sisaldab kamazuleeni. [4]

Kasutatud allikad
1. Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. (n.d.). Artemisia arborescens. PlantNET - NSW Flora Online. Vaadatud [sisesta kuupäev, millal veebilehte külastasid], aadressil https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Artemisia~arborescens
2. Dudai, N., & Amar, Z. (2017). Tree Wormwood (Artemisia Arborescens) at Montfort Castle: The Possible Introduction of a Medicinal Plant from Western Europe to the Latin East in the Crusader Period (pp. 258–265). Brill. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004307766_025 
3. Jaradat, N., Qneibi, M., Hawash, M., Al-Maharik, N., Qadi, M., Abualhasan, M. N., Ayesh, O., Bsharat, J., Khadir, M., Morshed, R., Yaaqbeh, S., Marei, S., Hamayel, S., Mousa, A., Daqqa, M., & Bdir, S. (2022). Assessing Artemisia arborescens essential oil compositions, antimicrobial, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects gathered from two geographic locations in Palestine. Industrial Crops and Products, 176, 114360. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2021.114360 
4. Michelakis, E. C., Evergetis, E., Koulocheri, S. D., & Haroutounian, S. A. (2016). Exploitation of Artemisia arborescens as a Renewable Source of Chamazulene: Seasonal Variation and Distillation Conditions. Natural product communications, 11(10), 1513–1516.

Classification (APG IV)
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Artemisia
Species: Common wormwood - Artemisia arborescens L.

Botanical Description
The tree wormwood is a perennial shrub that can grow 1–2 meters tall. Its stems are upright, covered with gray hairs when young, but become bare and grooved at the base as they age.

The leaves are pinnately divided and deeply lobed, measuring 5–10 cm in length and 3–7 cm in width. The leaflets are narrowly linear to oval, densely covered on both sides with silvery velvet-like hairs, giving the plant its characteristic whitish-gray appearance. The upper leaves are almost sessile and less deeply lobed.

The inflorescence is an upright cluster, with individual flowers slightly drooping and 5–7 mm in diameter. The flower base is hairy, and the involucral bracts are ovate, about 3 mm long, also covered with velvet-like hairs. The flowers are creamy to bright yellow, with fertile and glandular tubular florets. The fruits are ribbed or striated, slightly hairy achenes, lacking a pappus – a typical feature of plants in the Artemisia genus.

Distribution
The tree wormwood  is native to the Mediterranean region and commonly grows on dry and rocky soils. The plant can also be found in North African countries, ranging from Libya to Morocco. It is well adapted to warm and arid climates. [1,2]

Effects and Uses
Silver wormwood essential oil is known for its anti-inflammatory properties. It has been used to alleviate and treat ischemic symptoms. [3]

The essential oil contains several bioactive compounds, including chamazulene, which has demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects. Additionally, the oil contains other terpenes and phenols that contribute to the plant’s antimicrobial and neuroprotective properties. Research has shown that extracts of silver wormwood exhibit cytotoxic activity and potential roles in combating neurodegenerative diseases. [3,4]

The essential oil of the tree wormwood  is also used in perfumery and cosmetics due to its aromatic and calming properties.

References
1. Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Artemisia arborescens. PlantNET - NSW Flora Online.
2. Dudai, N., & Amar, Z. (2017). Tree Wormwood (Artemisia arborescens) at Montfort Castle. Brill.
3. Jaradat, N., et al. (2022). Assessing Artemisia arborescens essential oil compositions. Industrial Crops and Products.
4. Michelakis, E. C., et al. (2016). Exploitation of Artemisia arborescens as a Renewable Source of Chamazulene. Natural Product Communications.