Vern.: Zher, Terkhasperah.

Artemisia quettensis Podlech in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 158: 212. tt. 202, 222. 1986; A. maritima sensu Burkill, List Fl. Pl. Baluch. 54. 1908 – pro parte (non L. 1753).

Perennial, woody, aromatic shrublet with several, upright, densely whitish hairy to hardly glabrescent, finely sulcate, 30 – 40 cm high flowering branches from woody, erect rootstock. Leaves punctate-glandular, densely greyish hairy; lower with 8 – 12 mm long petiole; lamina ± orbiculate, 20 – 30 x 12 – 18 mm, 2 -3-pinnatisect with flat, linear-lanceolate, 2 – 4 (- 8) x 0.5 – 1.2 mm, ± obtuse segments; middle stem leaves similar to lower but auriculate; uppermost sessile, smaller than capitula, entire, auriculate. Capitula numerous, homogamous, sessile, erect, remote, ovate-oblong, 3.5 – 4.5 x c. 2 mm, in narrowly oblong, 8 – 12 x 2 – 3 cm panicle with short, 3 – 4 cm long, obliquely erect to ± strict branches. Involucre 4-5-seriate, phyllaries ± compactly imbricate, outermost very small, orbicular, c. 1 mm long, boat-shaped, hardly scarious on margins; median and inner oblong-oblanceolate, c. 1.75 – 2.25 mm long, greenish and arachnoid hairy in midrib part, punctate-glandular, broadly hyaline scarious on margins. Receptacle conical, glabrous. Florets c. 4 – 5, with c. 1.5 mm long, glandulose, 5-toothed, reddish tinged yellow corolla. Cypselas c. 0.8 mm long, brown.

Fl. Per.: May-November.

Type: Pakistan: Quetta, Spin Karz, 11.5.1965, S.M.A. Kazmi 1602 (M).

Commonly grazed by goats and given to Children for stomach-ache on account of its vermicidal properties. It is also used as fuelwood by the village folk; Distribution: Endemic to Pakistan (Balochistan).