Artemisia crithmifolia Dune Wormwood

Artemisia crithmifolia (Artemisia campestris subsp. maritima), Dune Wormwood, is a rare Atlantic species of coastal dunes which is endemic to the western coast of Europe from the Netherlands to Portugal. There are just 2 populations in Britain, one in the dunes of the Sefton coast in Lancashire and the other on Crymlyn Burrows in West Glamorgan. The Crymlyn Burrows population was discovered by David McClintock in 1957 who identified the plants as Field Worwood (Artemisia campestris). Given the extreme disjunction between this population and native populations of authentic Field Wormwood (Artemisia campestris subsp. campestris) in the east of England, the south Wales population was considered by some to be an introduction. The later rediscovery of 2 separate populations by CH and Hilary Hipkin on Crymlyn Burrows in 1977 and the subsequent discovery of the Sefton population by Phil Smith and Mike Wilcox in 2004, together with the assignment of these dune populations to Artemisia crithmifolia, which occurs in similar habitats on the European Atlantic coast, compels us to suggest that Artemisia crithmifolia is native in West Glamorgan and as such represents a very significant component of Wales' biodiversity. Unfortunately, because the Crymlyn Burrows population was regarded by some as an introduction, both of the original populations have been lost due to neglect. Fortunately, John Twibell collected and propagated specimens from both populations and plants were reintroduced on the dunes in 2008. One plant survives to date.

Native