''Achillea'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

, known colloquially as yarrows. The plants typically have frilly leaves. The common name "yarrow" usually refers to '' A. millefolium''. The genus was named after the

Greek mythological A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities of d ...

character

Achilles In Greek mythology, Achilles ( ) or Achilleus ( grc-gre, Ἀχιλλεύς) was a hero of the Trojan War, the greatest of all the Greek warriors, and the central character of Homer's '' Iliad''. He was the son of the Nereid Thetis and Pele ...

, whose soldiers were said to have used yarrow to treat their wounds; this is reflected by common names such as allheal and bloodwort. The genus is native primarily to

Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago ...

and North America.

Description

These plants typically have frilly, hairy, aromatic leaves. The plants show large, flat clusters of small

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s at the top of the stem. The flowers can be white, yellow, orange, pink or red and are generally visited by many insects, and are thus characterised by a generalised

pollination Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, a ...

system.

Taxonomy

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his Nobility#Ennoblement, ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalise ...

described the

in 1753. The common name "yarrow" is usually applied to ''

Achillea millefolium ''Achillea millefolium'', commonly known as yarrow () or common yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Other common names include old man's pepper, devil's nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier's woundwort, and thousand seal. The ...

'', but may also be used for other species within the genus.

Selected species

Nearly 1,000 names have been published within the

''Achillea'', at or below the level of

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

. Sources differ widely as to which should be recognized as species, which merit subspecies or

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

status, and which ones are merely synonyms of better-established names. For convenience, the Plant List maintained by the Kew Botanic Gardens is followed.

Cultivars

The following

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s are recipients of the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

's Award of Garden Merit: *''Achillea ageratifolia'' *''Achillea'' 'Coronation Gold' *''Achillea'' 'Credo' *''Achillea filipendulina'' 'Cloth of Gold' *''Achillea filipendulina'' 'Gold Plate' *''Achillea'' 'Heidi' *''Achillea'' 'Hella Glashoff' *''Achillea'' 'Lachsschönheit' (Galaxy Series) *''Achillea'' × ''lewisii'' 'King Edward' *''Achillea'' 'Lucky Break' *''Achillea'' 'Martina' *''Achillea millefolium'' 'Lansdorferglut' *''Achillea'' 'Mondpagode' *''Achillea'' 'Moonshine' *''Achillea'' 'Summerwine'

Etymology

The

was named after the

character

. According to legend, Achilles' soldiers used yarrow to treat their wounds, hence some of its common names such as allheal and bloodwort.

Distribution and habitat

The genus is primarily native to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...

, temperate areas of

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

, and North America.Flora of China Vol. 20-21 Page 759 蓍属 shi shu ''Achillea'' Linnaeus, Sp. Pl. 2: 896. 1753.
/ref>

Ecology

''Achillea'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some Lepidoptera species.

Uses

''Achillea'' species and cultivars are popular garden plants.

Gallery

Image:Achillea asplenifolia1.jpg, '' Achillea asplenifolia'' Image:Achilleamillefolium2web.jpg, Yarrow (''

'') Image:Achillea clavenae0.jpg, Silvery Yarrow ('' Achillea clavenae'') Image:Achillea ageratum corimbo.jpg, Sweet Yarrow (''

Achillea ageratum ''Achillea ageratum'', also known as sweet yarrow, sweet-Nancy, English mace or sweet maudlin, is a flowering plant in the sunflower family, native to Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, England, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Croatia and Romania), and ...

'') Image:Achillea filipendula detalle corimbo.jpg, Fernleaf Yarrow ('' Achillea filipendula'') Flower on Djurgarden (52354).jpg, Macro image of Yarrow in Sweden

References

{{Authority control Asteraceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus