Achillea gracilis Rafinesque. Common name: Eastern Yarrow, Eastern Thousandleaf. Phenology: Apr-Nov. Habitat: Grassy balds, meadows, pastures, roadsides, disturbed areas. Distribution: Widespread in e. North America.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Taxonomy Comments: The Achillea millefolium aggregate is a taxonomically very complex entity, with races of different ploidies, and both introduced and native genotypes in e. North America. Ramsey, Robertson & Husband (2008) recommended treating native North American races as A. borealis; most eastern North American populations represent native North American races, most closely allied to e. Asian taxa, with only a few collections of European races from near old port cities (Ramsey, pers. comm.; Ramsey 2011; Levin 2011). Later work suggests that A. borealis should be narrowly applied to a western North American entity, and that the oldest name available for native eastern North American Achillea is A. gracilis, a course followed here.
Synonymy ⓘ: = Achillea lanulosa Nutt. — Arriagada & Miller (1997); = Achillea millefolium L. ssp. lanulosa (Nutt.) Piper — G, GrPl, W; = Achillea millefolium L. var. occidentalis DC.; < Achillea borealis Bong. — Ramsey, Robertson, & Husband (2008); >< Achillea borealis Bong. — F; < Achillea borealis Bong. var. borealis — Can; >< Achillea lanulosa Nutt. — F; < Achillea millefolium L. — Ar, Fl7, FNA19, K4, Mi, NcTx, NY, Oh3, Ok, Pa, RAB, SE1, Tat, Tn, Va, WH3; < Achillea millefolium L. ssp. lanulosa (Nutt.) Piper — NE; > Achillea millefolium L. ssp. lanulosa (Nutt.) Piper — C; < Achillea millefolium L. ssp. millefolium — POWO; > Achillea millefolium L. var. lanulosa (Nutt.) Piper — Il; >< Achillea millefolium L. var. millefolium — Il; > Achillea millefolium L. var. nigrescens (Nutt.) Piper — C; Achillea gracilis Rafinesque. Basionym: Achillea gracilis Raf. 1833
Links to other floras: < Achillea millefolium - FNA19
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU (name change)
- Great Plains: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Midwest: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
Heliophily ⓘ: 8
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Horticultural Information
No horticultural data found for this taxon.