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Achillea ageratum

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Achillea ageratum
LC[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Achillea
Species:
A. ageratum
Binomial name
Achillea ageratum
Synonyms[1]
  • Achillea viscosa Lam.
  • Conforata ageratum Fourr.
  • Santolina ageratum Baill.

Achillea ageratum, also known as sweet yarrow,[2] sweet-Nancy,[3] English mace,[4] or sweet maudlin,[5] is a flowering plant in the sunflower family. it was originally native to Switzerland, before spreading across Europe (to Portugal, Spain, France, England, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Croatia and Romania), and Morocco.[4][6] In the United States the plant is cultivated in the state of New York for its pleasant fragrance and sparingly naturalized in a few places outside its native range.[1][7]

In the Middle Ages it was used as a strewing herb to repel insects such as moths, lice and ticks and spread a good smell in private rooms.[8] The leaves can be chopped and used raw as a herb, or added with other herbs to soups and stews.[9] Modern uses of the herb include its use as a flavouring, as a dried flower, and as an ornamental herb.[4]

The species was first given a species name by Carl Linnaeus and published in his Species Plantarum 1753.[1] Achillea is a reference to the Greek hero Achilles, who was trained to used herbs by his mentor, the centaur Chiron.[4] The flowers last for a relatively long period, hence the inclusion of ageratum in the species name.[5]

The plant grows to a height of 12 to 18 inches (300 to 460 mm). A hardy perennial, it can be identified by its narrow and serrated leaves, and clusters of small, cream-coloured flowers.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Achillea ageratum L." Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  3. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Achillea ageratum​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e Linford 2011, p. 12.
  5. ^ a b Quincy 1794, p. 32.
  6. ^ "Achillea ageratum L." Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
  7. ^ Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  8. ^ Bailey & Bailey 1976, p. 17.
  9. ^ Farrell 2019, p. 24.

Sources

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Further reading

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