Plant ID: Artemisia absinthium?

[_Matt_]

Habitat shot included. The plant itself is very soft, lower stems included, though the stems with the flower/seeds on are woody as can be seen. Strong smell of sage or something similar. This is another plant i have wanted to investigate for some time because of the scent and it's use as a herb if edible (and palatable). Unfortunately it doesn't really seem to be very usable if it is what i think it is!

 

[shaggystu]

Certainly looks like Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) to me.

Don't eat it!

Cheers,

Stuart.

 

[cranmere]

Looks like it to me, it should have a strange, musty, slightly acrid smell.

I did some work on absinthe for my degree. The thujone which is reputed to have the hallucinogenic effects is nothing like as potent or toxic as it's made out to be, and most of the problems people reported can be put down to the high levels of alcohol in absinthe. There is actually a surprising amount of thujone in culinary sage and it's also found in some mints and oregano.