Losna (Artemisia gorgonum)

Aromatic shrub, highly branched, up to 2 m. Branches robust, woody, brown when mature. Leaves are bi-to tri-pinnatisect, greyish-green to silvery-white, smooth to the touch, up to 8 cm long and 6 cm wide. Inflorescence a contracted panicle, with numerous yellowish flower heads. This native of Cape Verde is only found on the most mountainous islands of Santo Antão, Santiago and Fogo, from 400-2,400 m, but mainly above 800 m, in semi-arid, subhumid and humid zones. This species has been classified as Vulnerable for the entire archipelago, due to intensive use for medicinal purposes and grazing pressure; in Santiago it is considered Critically Endangered because of extremely low numbers of specimens.