William Weber indicates that "chemically and morphologically"  Artemisia and Seriphidium are "distinct".  In his botanical key he separates them on the basis of ray flowers: Artemisia has small ray flowers; Seriphidium has no ray flowers.

Artemis was Apollo's twin sister and daughter of Zeus and Leto; she was the equivalent of the Greek Diana, goddess of the moon, the woods, and the wild, who, the legend states, derived so much good from plants of this kind that all such plants are named for her.  Intermountain Flora presents another etymology: the genus is named for Artemisia, historical Queen of Caria (in present day Turkey) who was a "noted botanist, medical researcher, and scholar".  She was named for the Greek god.

"Seriphos" is Greek for "wormwood", the common name often applied to a number of Sage plants.

See more Artemisia   and   Seriphidium shrubs.

Artemisia filifolia (Sand Sagebrush)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Semi-desert. Shrublands, sand. Late summer, fall.
Arches National Park, Utah, May 4, 2005.

This pleasantly aromatic and very handsome Sage grows from two-to-five feet tall in deep sandy soils.  It flowers yellow-to-brown in late summer and fall.  Fine foliage gives rise to its Latin specific epithet, "filifolia".

Artemisia filifolia (Sand Sagebrush)
Asteraceae (Sunflower Family)

Semi-desert. Shrublands, sand. Late summer, fall.
Arches National Park, Utah, May 4, 2005.

Arching, slender leaves, young stems, and tiny yellow/brown flowers are covered in soft hairs.

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Artemisia filifolia