Little Dragon Russian Tarragon Botanical Illustrations and Photographs

Summary: Russian tarragon botanical illustrations and photographs give a wild-growing plant that goes mildly into fish and poultry dishes, salads, soups and teas.

Russian tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus var. inodora) is not as flavorful as its French cousin (A. dracunculus var. sativa) but its appearance is just as lovely in cut flower displays: Stefano Manfredi @manfredistefano, via Twitter April 22, 2012

Russian tarragon botanical illustrations and photographs allude to aesthetic arrangements of adaptable, adventurous roots and shoots that adjust to cold and heat and to downpours and droughts in America, Asia and Europe.

Russian botanical illustrations and photographs broach bushy perennials that, unlike flavorful, form-fitting, fragrant French tarragon, never balk at bearing annually fertile flowers and yearly viable seeds. Tarragon convokes the scientific classification of Carl Linnaeus (May 23, 1707-Jan. 10, 1778) in 1753 and, for Russian tarragon, the scientific name Artemisia dracunculus var. inodora. The scientific name describes Greece's divine huntress Artemis or southwest Turkey's botanist Artemisia II (died 351/350 B.C.?) developing non-odoriferous defenses against dragons, snakes and venomous bites.

The ancient theory of signatures equated plant forms and functions and explained coiled, reptile-like roots as tarragon expelling dragons and snakes and extracting venom from bites.

Russian tarragon botanical illustrations and photographs follow eight- to 10-year life cycles from spring, summer and fall leafing; through summer and fall flowering; to fall seeding.

The bushy, flowering herbaceous perennial grows from spring through fall to 24- to 60-inch (60.96- to 152.4-centimeter) heights and 18- to 24-plus-inch (45.72- to 60.96-plus-centimeter) spreads. Balled, coiled, leafing, rooting, underground stem-like rhizomes ("root-like") hold Russian tarragon's above-ground stems upright in dry or moist, loamy or sandy, nutrient-rich or poor, well-drained soils. The erect, yellow-brown stems include deciduous, narrow, 1.18- to 3.15-inch- (3- to 8-centimeter-) long, 0.079- to 0.158-inch- (2- to 4-millimeter-) wide notched upper, spear-shaped lower leaves.

Russian tarragon botanical illustrations and photographs jumble April- to October-leafing foliage with June- to August- and August- to September-flowering inflorescences (stalked floral clusters) and October-fruiting achenes.

The Asteraceae aster, composite, dairy and sunflower family member hermaphroditically keeps pollen-bearing stamens as male, and seed-bearing pistils as female, parts on all Russian tarragon varieties.

Each 5.91- to 17.72-inch- (15- to 45-centimeter-) long, 2.36- to 11.81-inch- (6- to 30-centimeter-) wide cluster lounges along or atop a main 0.59-inch- (1.5-centimeter-) long stalk. Basal, brownish, hairy, lance-shaped, leaf-like, membranous, 0.079- to 0.118-inch- (2- to 3-millimeter-) long, 0.118- to 0.138-inch- (3- to 3.5-millimeter-) wide bracts maintain every cluster's stalked florets. Every floret needs 6 to 25 pistils, with ovule- (egg-) making ovaries, pollen-receiving stigmas and tubular styles; and 8 to 20 stamens, with anthers and filaments.

Russian tarragon botanical illustrations and photographs offer yellow, 0.071- to 0.079-inch (1.8- to -millimeter) corollas, as the innermost petals, on every cluster's 0.024-inch- (0.6-millimeter-) long florets.

Ever-fertile hermaphroditic flowers precede ever-viable fruits presented botanically as brownish, dry, fall-produced, non-explosive, non-hairy, single-seeded, spring-plantable, tuftless, 0.019- to 0.032-inch (0.5- to 0.8-millimeter) achenes or cypselae.

Russian tarragon queues up reproduction means of deliberate 3.94- to 4.72-inch- (10- to 12-centimeter-) long stem-cuttings and of deliberately and naturally rootable roots and sowable seeds. Successful reproduction requires well-drained soils at 1,640.42- to 9,842.52-foot (500- to 3,000-meter) altitudes above sea level since drought- and frost-tolerant Russian tarragon rarely resists root rot. Sustainability suggests afternoon shade, early-morning harvests, morning sun, spring cuttings and sowings, well-drained soils and winter-lowest temperatures above minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 40 degrees Celsius).

Russian tarragon botanical illustrations and photographs treat a tenuous-tasting herb for fish, poultry, salads and soups and a wild-looking plant for bed, box and container gardening.

Russian tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus grows as a more robust, taller plant than French tarragon (A. dracunculus var. sativa): Mrs B @welldone99, via Twitter Oct. 26, 2012

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Russian tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus var. inodora) is not as flavorful as its French cousin (A. dracunculus var. sativa) but its appearance is just as lovely in cut flower displays: Stefano Manfredi @manfredistefano, via Twitter April 22, 2012,

Russian tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus grows as a more robust, taller plant than French tarragon (A. dracunculus var. sativa): Mrs B @welldone99, via Twitter Oct. 26, 2012, @ https://twitter.com/welldone99/status/262046989376708608

For further information:

"Artemisia dracunculus Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 849. 1753." In: Flora of North America: North of Mexico. Flora of North America Editorial Committee, ed. Volumes 19, 20 and 21. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, Inc.
Available @ http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200023201

Besser, W.S. (Wilibert Swibert Joseph Gottlieb von). 1835. "Dracunculi, Seu de Sectione Quarta et Ultima Artemisiarum Linnaei: [22. Dracunculus] β. inodora (Bess. Monogr. inedit.) et fere insipida." Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou, tome VIII: 55-57. Moscou [Moscow], Russia: Imprimérie de l'Université Impériale.
Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ 40279517

Cherry @KilcoanGardens. 22 April 2013. "Photo of russian tarragon in jug #britishflowers." Twitter.
Available @ https://twitter.com/KilcoanGardens/status/326422792423755776

Elise @elise4671. 17 April 2014. "#2: Potted Plants: Herbs. Tarragon Russian. 1 Litre Pot Size." Twitter.
Available @ https://twitter.com/elise4671/status/456759325461970945

Linnaei, Caroli (Carl Linnaeus). 1753. "16. Artemisia dracunculus." Species Plantarum, vol. II: 849. Holmiae [Stockholm, Sweden]: Laurentii Salvii [Laurentius Salvius].
Available via Biodiversity Heritage Library @ https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/358870#page/291/mode/1up

Lust, John. 2014. The Herb Book. Mineola NY: Dover Publications.

Mrs B @welldone99. 26 October 2012. "So disappointed, thought I had planted a seedling of french tarragon and it grew up to be russian!" Twitter.
Available @ https://twitter.com/welldone99/status/262046989376708608

Stefano Manfredi @manfredistefano. 22 April 2012. "Russian tarragon flowers make a stunning display." Twitter.
Available @ https://twitter.com/manfredistefano/status/193964082032939008

Ortiz, Elisabeth Lambert. 1992. The Encyclopedia of Herbs, Spices, & Flavorings. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley.