Common yarrow |
Achillea millefolium ssp. millefolium - the most common subspecies of the yarrow
| Achillea millefolium L. ssp. millefolium: | |
| Blooming period: | July–September |
| Height: | 20–80 cm |
| Flowers: | in heads, Ř of the heads approx. 7 mm, stamens: 5, styles: 1 |
| Ray florets: | white or pink |
| Disc florets: | whitish or pink |
| Calyx: | missing |
| Stem leaves: | alternate, 2- to 4-fold pinnatisect |
| Basal leaves: | 2- to 4-fold pinnatisect, stalked, at the flowering season sometimes missing |
Plant perennial, herbaceous, with underground or above-ground runners, which arise out of the reddish rootstock (rhizome). Rhizome horizontally, thin and roundish.
Stems upright, stable and angular, glabrous to densely hairy, símple or branched above the middle.
The stalked basal leaves and lower leaves oblong. Basal leaves half as long, or as long as the whole plant, sometimes withering before flowering.
Stem leaves sessile, oblong to linear-lanceolate with enlarged leaflets near the stem (auricles). All the leaves highly pinnatisect, pinnate or pinnatipartite, the lower leaves more finely splitted than the upper ones.
The flower heads are on short, leafless stems in umbel-like arrays (corymbs), the receptacle is slightly convex.
Phyllaries in several rows, green with yellowish or light brown membranous margins or completely yellow to yellow-brown.
Ray florets mostly 5, female, ligules about as long as wide, at the apex with 2 indistinct teeth. Disc florets approx. 20, hermaphrodite, at the base with a lanceolate chafflike bract. Flowers usually fragrant.
Pollination by flies, bees, bumblebees, butterflies and beetles. From the inferior ovary are formed up to 2 mm long smooth, silver-gray and glabrous nut fruits (achenes).
Plants with an aromatic scent, especially when rubbed. Plants very diversiform!
In addition to A. millefolium ssp. millefolium in Germany occurs the ssp. sudetica, whose phyllaries have are dark brown to black margin and pink to purple ray florets.
| Floral formula: |
| ↓ K0 C(5) G(2) inferior
and * K0 [C(5) A5(connate)] G(2) inferior |
Occurrence:
Meadows,
roadsides, ruderal areas, fallow land, dry grasslands. Prefers sunny
and
dry locations.
Distribution:
The
whole of Europe, North America, North Asia and South Australia.