What does mugwort look like? How much does it cost per pound?

1. Morphological characteristics

1. Stems and branches: Mugwort is a herbaceous plant with a relatively thick and long taproot, about 1.5 cm in diameter, and many lateral roots. Its stem is solitary, between 80-150 cm in height, with longitudinal ridges, brown or grayish brown in color, and woody at the base. It has fewer branches and is 3-5 cm long. The stems and branches have spidery gray hairs.

2. Leaves: The leaves of mugwort are thick papery, with white soft hairs on the surface and spider-like hairs on the back. The lower leaves have long petioles, are round or broadly ovate in shape, and are deeply pinnately lobed. There are 2-3 lobes, which are oval in shape and have teeth on them. The middle leaves are ovate, usually deeply pinnately lobed, with ovate lobes.

3. Flowers: The flowers of mugwort are capitula. There are 3-4 layers of bracts, the outer ones are smaller and have white hairs on the back. The middle layer is slightly longer and has an oblong shape. The inner layer is thin and hairless. There are usually 6-10 female flowers, which are purple in color, with slender styles that extend beyond the corolla. There are 12-18 bisexual flowers, which are also purple in color.

2. How much is one pound?

The price of mugwort does not fluctuate much, usually selling for around 7-8 yuan per kilogram. However, on special days, such as the Dragon Boat Festival, the price will rise slightly due to the custom of hanging mugwort, but the increase will not be too large, and a bunch will sell for about 5 yuan. In addition, the price of the leaves with stems is slightly lower, while the price of pure leaves is a little more expensive. The former can be sold for 1,200-2,000 yuan per ton, while the latter can be sold for as high as 4,500-5,500 yuan per ton. If the mugwort has been stored for a few years, the price will continue to rise, generally increasing by 40-50% each year. After three years, it can be sold for 8,000 to 12,000 yuan per ton.