White Steppe Wormwood

White steppe wormwood (Iradi: shybak) is a name for the low, gray-white wormwoods (Artemisia) that dominate the desert and semi-desert ranges of the Betpak-Dala, the Moiynkum and the Kyzylkum Fringe. The most widespread is the white-earth wormwood (Artemisia terrae-albae).^[1] These aromatic dwarf shrubs are bitter in summer, but they become more palatable after the autumn frosts and are the main winter forage for sheep, goats and camels on the desert ranges. Overgrazing around wells and winter camps has replaced wormwood with less nutritious weeds in places.^[2]

References

1. ^ Central Asian Botanical Review (2019). "Desert Rangelands of the Western Karatau Piedmont." Vol. 17, pp. 55–72.
2. ^ Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2023). Transhumant Pastoralism and Rangeland Management in Central Asia. Rome, pp. 88–102.