Artemisia annua, also known as Sweet Wormwood, Sweet Annie, Sweet Sagewort or Annual Wormwood, is a common type of wormwood that is native to temperate Asia, but naturalized throughout the world. It has fern-like leaves, bright yellow flowers, and a camphor-like scent.

The proposed mechanism of action of artemisinin involves cleavage of endoperoxide bridges by iron producing free radicals (hypervalent iron-oxo species, epoxides, aldehydes, and dicarbonyl compounds) which damage biological macromolecules causing oxidative stress in the cells of the parasite.
Fourteen sesquiterpenes, three monoterpenes and one diterpene natural product have been isolated from the seeds of Artemisia annua. The possible biogenesis of some of these natural products are discussed by reference to recently reported experimental results for the autoxidation of dihydroartemisinic acid and other terpenoids from Artemisia annua.