common yarrow

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• yarrow
• Milfoil
• common yarrow
• northern yarrow
• arrowroot
• bad man's plaything
• bloodwort
• carpenter's weed
• death flower
• devil's nettle
• devil's plaything
• dog daisy
• dog fennel
• eerie
• field hop
• gordaldo
• hundred leaved grass
• knight's milfoil
• knyghten
• nosebleed plant
• old man's mustard
• old man's pepper
• plumajillo
• sanguinary
• seven-year's love
• snake's grass
• soldier
• soldier's woundwort
• staunchweed
• thousand seal
• thousand-leaf
• thousand-seal
• western yarrow
• white yarrow

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Chamaemelum millefolium
• Alitubus millefolium
• Santolina millefolium

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, placing it within the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. It is further classified under the order Asterales and the family Asteraceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Achillea.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a broad presence across several northern regions of Europe. In the northern reaches of the continent, it can be found growing throughout Denmark and Finland. Its distribution also extends to the rugged landscapes of Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Additionally, the species is commonly documented across Great Britain. These locations collectively highlight the plant's preference for northern European climates.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Achillea millefolium is characterized by a broad adaptability to diverse environments, ranging from lowlands to high-altitude alpine regions. It is commonly found occupying varied habitats including forests, meadows, sandy soils, and stony places. This species exhibits an extensive elevational range, spanning from sea level (0 m AMSL) to a maximum altitude of 3500 m AMSL, with a mean elevation of approximately 2400 m AMSL. Furthermore, its subterranean ecological interactions are notable for the absence of mycorrhizal associations, as it does not rely on mycorrhiza for its growth and nutrient uptake.

Elevational range max:

3500 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

2400 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

forest, meadows, sand, stony places

Mycorrhiza :

no

Genetics

The genetics of Achillea millefolium are characterized by significant cytogenetic complexity and high levels of polyploidy, which contribute to its wide ecological adaptability. The species exhibits a diverse range of chromosome numbers, including 18, 34, 36, 45, 54, 58, 72, and 116, reflecting a complex evolutionary history involving various hybridization and genome doubling events. Regarding its reproductive biology and cellular structure, the fundamental haploid number is represented by the ploidy level $n$, which serves as the basis for the various polyploid series observed throughout its different populations.

Chromosome number :

18, 34, 36, 45, 54, 58, 72, 116

Ploidy :

n

Life history

The life history of Achillea millefolium is characterized by its existence as a perennial plant, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. As a hemicryptophyte, it maintains its perennuating buds at the soil surface, protected by leaf litter or soil during unfavorable conditions. This species exhibits an evergreen deciduousness, ensuring that its vegetative structures maintain vitality and readiness for growth across successive cycles.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Achillea millefolium is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb, specifically classified as a forb. This species is a self-supporting plant that does not function as a climber or a parasite, maintaining an independent lifestyle. As a terrestrial organism, it is neither aquatic nor an epiphyte. In terms of its physical stature, the plant exhibits significant variation in height, ranging from a minimum of 0.05 m to a maximum of 1.2 m, with an average plant height of approximately 0.65375 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1.2 m

Plant height mean:

0.65375 m

Plant height min:

0.05 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Achillea millefolium is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, indicating a standard carbon fixation process typical of many temperate herbaceous plants. The plant is non-carnivorous and does not function as a nitrogen fixer, relying instead on soil nutrients for its metabolic needs. Its leaf morphology plays a critical role in its resource management, featuring a linear-lanceolate form with entire margins and an absence of thorns or spines. The leaves exhibit significant variability in size, with a mean length of 6 cm (ranging from a minimum of 2 cm to a maximum of 15 cm) and a mean width of 1.5 cm (ranging from 0.5 cm to 2.5 cm), resulting in a mean leaf size of 4.11 cm². Furthermore, the plant maintains a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 189.35 cm²/g, reflecting its leaf mass per area and its strategy for optimizing light interception and gas exchange within its ecological niche.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf form :

linear-lanceolate

Leaf length max:

15 cm

Leaf length mean:

6 cm

Leaf length min:

2 cm

Leaf margin :

entire

Leaf size mean:

4.11 cm²

Leaf spines :

no

Leaf thorns :

no

Leaf width max:

2.5 cm

Leaf width mean:

1.5 cm

Leaf width min:

0.5 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

189.35 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Achillea millefolium is characterized by a sexual process involving bisexual flowers, where self-fertilization is noted to be absent. The flowering period typically begins in July and concludes in August. Pollination is a biotic process primarily driven by insects. Following successful pollination, the plant produces dry, indehiscent fruits classified as achenes. These fruits maintain a consistent length of approximately 0.2 cm. The plant is highly prolific, producing more than 1,000 seeds per fruit. The resulting seeds are quite small, with a mean length of 2.1 mm (ranging from a minimum to maximum of 2.1 mm) and a mean volume of 0.545 mm³ (ranging from 0.32 to 0.77 mm³). In terms of mass, the seeds have a mean mass of 0.000179285 g, with values ranging from a minimum of 5e-05 g to a maximum of 0.0011 g. Dispersal of the seeds occurs through both anemochorous (wind) and anthropochorous (human-mediated) syndromes. Notably, asexual reproduction is absent in this species.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flowering time :

Jul

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit length max:

0.2 cm

Fruit type :

achene

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed length mean:

2.1 mm

Seed mass max:

0.0011 g

Seed mass mean:

0.000179285 g

Seed mass min:

5e-05 g

Seed volume max:

0.77 mm³

Seed volume mean:

0.545 mm³

Seed volume min:

0.32 mm³

Seeds_per_fruit :

>1000

Self fertilization :

absent

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Achillea millefolium has 4 reported plant parts identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, flower, root, stem.

Leaf

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics
3. Frontiers in microbiology
4. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine
5. Journal of pharmaceutical analysis

Flower

1. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine
2. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics
3. Frontiers in microbiology
4. Journal of pharmaceutical analysis

Root

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Daru : journal of Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
3. Journal of pharmaceutical analysis

Stem

1. Journal of pharmaceutical analysis

Chemicals

Achillea millefolium has 287 reported phytochemicals identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include apigenin, CHLOROGENIC ACID, luteolin, CU, FE.

apigenin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Advances in clinical and experimental medicine : official organ Wroclaw Medical University
4. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
5. Iranian journal of basic medical sciences

CHLOROGENIC ACID

1. Dr. Duke
2. Acta biochimica Polonica
3. Molecular nutrition & food research
4. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
5. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)

luteolin

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics
4. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
5. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences

CU

1. Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju
2. Environmental science and pollution research international
3. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica
4. BMC plant biology

FE

1. Biological trace element research
2. Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju
3. Environmental science and pollution research international
4. BMC plant biology

Flavonoids

1. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
2. Acta biochimica Polonica
3. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
4. Journal of medicinal food

MN

1. Biological trace element research
2. Arhiv za higijenu rada i toksikologiju
3. Environmental science and pollution research international
4. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica

RUTIN

1. Dr. Duke
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
3. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
4. Computational biology and chemistry

camphor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Scientific reports

polyphenols

1. Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A
2. Frontiers in nutrition
3. Journal of medicinal food
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Achillea millefolium has 847 reported activities identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Antimicrobial, Anticancer, Hepatoprotective.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Veterinary research forum : an international quarterly journal
3. Dentistry journal
4. Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry
5. BMC chemistry

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Medicinal chemistry research : an international journal for rapid communications on design and mechanisms of action of biologically active agents
3. Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A
4. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology

Antimicrobial

1. Dentistry journal
2. Medicinski glasnik : official publication of the Medical Association of Zenica-Doboj Canton, Bosnia and Herzegovina
3. Scientific reports
4. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Scientific reports
3. Heliyon

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. The Journal of membrane biology
3. Recent advances in anti-infective drug discovery

Hypotensive

1. Dr. Duke
2. Recent advances in anti-infective drug discovery
3. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Anthelmintic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antiallergic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Medicinal chemistry research : an international journal for rapid communications on design and mechanisms of action of biologically active agents

Antiatherosclerotic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Recent advances in anti-infective drug discovery

Antihepatotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. The Journal of membrane biology

Conditions

Achillea millefolium has 88 reported investigations on conditions identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include inflammation, Staphylococcus aureus, malaria, pneumonia, wounds.

Inflammation

1. Journal of medicinal food
2. Journal of pharmacopuncture
3. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
4. Heliyon
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Staphylococcus aureus

1. BMC chemistry
2. Journal of biomedical materials research. Part A
3. Photochemistry and photobiology

Malaria

1. The Journal of membrane biology
2. The Journal of veterinary medical science
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Pneumonia

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. The Journal of membrane biology
3. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Wounds

1. Microbial pathogenesis
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Plasmodium falciparum

1. Acta biochimica Polonica
2. Acta parasitologica

Abscesses

1. Dentistry journal
2. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine

Allergic contact dermatitis

1. Contact dermatitis
2. Archiv der Pharmazie

Cough

1. The Journal of membrane biology
2. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Gingivitis

1. Dentistry journal
2. Journal of clinical periodontology

Preparations

Achillea millefolium has 38 reported preparations identified across 14 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include extracts, essential oil, inflorescences alcoholic extract, A. millefolium extract, AAMS extracts.

Extracts

1. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
2. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS
3. Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania)
4. Molecular biology reports

Essential oil

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Heliyon

Inflorescences alcoholic extract

1. Veterinary research forum : an international quarterly journal
2. Experimental and toxicologic pathology : official journal of the Gesellschaft fur Toxikologische Pathologie

A. millefolium extract

1. Hepatology forum

Aams extracts

1. Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society

Ameo ointments

1. Journal of pharmacopuncture

Achillea millefolium essential oil

1. Journal of pharmacopuncture

Amiv extracts

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Aml and amh extracts

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Extracts

1. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz