Root polyacetylenes of seven Artemisia species belonging to the section Absinthium DC. have been analyzed and compared. Spiroketalenolethers and small amounts of trans–dehydromatricariaester are wide–spread and appear to be characteristic. An accumulation of cis–C14– and C13–spiroketalenolethers distinguishes A. frigida and A. austriaca from the closest relatives of A. absinthium, which are characterized by transconfigurated ring–enolethers, thiophenes derived from dehydromatricariaester and in particular by their content of sesamines. Correspondingly, the occurrence of biogenetically closely related proazulenogenic sesquiterpene lactones emphasizes the close relationship of these species, while the more oxidized non–proazulenogenic lactone of A. austriaca suggests a closer relationship to other species groups.