The leaves of Artemisia sphaerocephala are paper, green on the top, with dense white glands and pits, with pilose at the initial stage and glabrous at the later stage. The leaves of basal leaves and lower parts of stem are wide ovate or nearly round, the second is full split or the first is full split, the second is deep split, the middle leaves are ovate, nearly round or oblong, the second is full split or the second is deep split.
The leaves of mugwort are thick paper, with hairs on both sides. The basal leaves have long stalks and wither at flowering. The lower leaves of the stem are nearly round or wide ovate, pinnate and deeply split, the middle leaves are ovate, triangular ovate or nearly rhombic, once pinnate and deeply split to half split.
The flower heads of Artemisia sphaerocephala are oval or oblong, the corolla of female flower is narrow tubular, the color is purplish red, the corolla of hermaphrodite flower is tubular, the eaves is purplish red.
Wormwood also has oval flower heads, narrow tubular female flower corolla, purple color, tubular or goblet shaped hermaphrodite flower corolla, purple eaves.
