Vern.: Tirkha.

Artemisia kurramensis Qazilb. in J. Ind. Bot. Soc. 29: 193. fig. 1. 1950; in Ind. Pharm. 9: 300-306. t. 1 – 7. 1954; Kitam., Fl. Afgh. 390. 1960; Podlech in Rech. f., l. c. 210. tt. 202, 221. 1986; A. maritima non L.: Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 3: 323. 1881 – pro parte; Kitam., Fl. Pl. W. Pak. 142. 1964; R. R. Stewart, Ann. Cat. Vasc. Pl. W. Pak. & Kashm.717. 1972, p. p.; A. maritima L. var. willdenowiana Besser in Bull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Mosc. 7: 31. 1834.

A woody shrublet with several, up to 60 (-80) cm tall, upright, densely whitish hairy to ultimately glabrous, usually branched from below, pale-brown stems from erect, apically branched, erect rootstock. Leaves densely whitish tomentose to glabrescent; lower and on sterile shoots petiolate, ± equal, lamina ovate, (10-) 20 – 50 x 10 – 40 mm, 2 (-3)-pinnatisect into narrowly linear, 1 – 8 (-15) x 0.3 – 0.6 mm, somewhat remote, ± acutish ultimate segments; middle stem leaves ± sessile, usually withered at anthesis, shorter and less dissected with narrow, linear segments; uppermost in the floral region longer or shorter than capitual, simple, linear-oblong, 3 – 5 mm long. Capitula sessile, homogamous, oblong, 2.5 – 3.5 mm long, erect, approximate, numerous in wide oblong, 10 – 25 x 8 – 12 cm, congested panicle with obliquely erect to ascending, 10 – 15 cm long branches. Involucre 5–6–seriate, phyllaries compactly imbricate, sparsely puberulous and punctate-glandular outside; outermost 2 series thickened, oval, 1 – 1.5 mm long, green, ± membranous margined, obtuse; innermost oblanceolate, spathulate, c. 2.5 mm long, broadly hyaline scarious, obtuse. Receptacle subglobose, glabrous. Florets 4 – 5, bisexual, yellow, with c. 2 mm long, conico-tubular, glandulose, 5-toothed corolla. Cypselas brown, oblanceolate, c. 1.25 x 0.75 mm, with lateral corolliform scar.

Fl. Per.: November-January.

Type: Pakistan, C-6 Kurram, N. A. Qazilbash 2462 (K).

Foothills, mountain slopes, dry graveyards, field borders with sparse vegetation on gravelly, fine to coarse sandy-clay soils; Distribution: Endemic to Pakistan (N.W. F.P), and Afghanistan.

This species has been extensively collected for santonin extraction and its frequency in the area has become very low now. The plant emits strong unpleasant aroma and is commonly used by locals for curing cough and as vermifuge.