Status: Native
Synonyms:
Achillea alpicola Rydberg
Achillea lanulosa Nuttall subsp. alpicola (Rydberg) Keck
Achillea lanulosa Nuttall subsp lanulosa
Achillea lanulosa Nuttall subsp. typica Keck
Achillea laxiflora Pollard & Cockerell
Achillea millefolium Linnaeus var. alpicola (Rydberg) Garrett
Achillea millefolium Linnaeus var. lanulosa (Nuttall) Piper
Achillea millefolium Linnaeus var. occidentalis A.P. de Candolle
Achillea subalpina Greene
Achillea millefolium can be recognized by its spray of many white flowers, each of
which is a flowerhead, and the distinctive feathery leaves. Each of the white flowers has a yellow disc and is a separate composite flowerhead. Achillea millefolium is mainly found in Ponderosa forest in the Gila Wilderness.
This Ethnobotany information is provided by John Dunne-Brady for historical and cultural value but is not intended as medical advice:
Primarily a styptic and febrifuge; cold tea used for chills and ague; hot
tea used to induce sweating and break fevers; also used as a stomachic or
carminative for nausea, poor digestion and sometimes as a mild laxative; tea
mixed with field mint or poleo (Mentha arvensis) for dizziness and
biliousness; dry herbal tea also helps control abnormal menstrual bleeding;
a long herbal tradition in Europe dates back to the Trojan War (c.1200 BC);
plant named for Greek hero Achilles who supposedly used yarrow to treat
soldier's wounds and stop bleeding; dried stems used to consult I Ching, and
whole plant used medicinally by Chinese at least since Chou Dynasty (1122
BC) - Curtin 158, Moore 65
Please click on an image for a larger file.
Achillea millefolium, photo Russ Kleinman, Burro Mtns., Jack's Peak, July 2, 2007
Achillea millefolium, detail of leaf, photo Russ Kleinman, Pinos Altos Range, Meadow Creek, Aug. 26, 2008
Achillea millefolium, inflorescences, photo Russ Kleinman, Pinos Altos Range, Signal Peak turnoff, Oct. 5, 2008
Achillea millefolium, macro of inflorescence, photo Russ Kleinman, Bill Norris, Richard Felger, Scott Zager & Manda Jost, Black Range, Hillsboro Peak trail, Nov. 16, 2008
Back to the Index