Description: Perennial herbs with rhizomes.
Leaves basal and cauline, entire to 2-pinnatisect, alternate, numerous.
Inflorescence terminal, heads in branched corymbs.
Heads usually small, numerous in radiate; heads campanulate; involucral bracts herbaceous with scarious margins, few-seriate, the outer ± shorter than the inner; receptacle convex with oblong membranous scales. Ray florets female, ligulate, ligules ± 3-toothed, spreading or rarely short and erect; ray achenes ± flattened, smooth; pappus absent. Disc florets tubular, bisexual, fertile, white, yellow or pink, corolla funnel-shaped; anthers shortly tailed at the base with ovate apical appendages; style branches linear, truncate, with papillose apices; disc achenes similar to ray achenes.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 85 species, Europe & Asia. Australia: 3 species (naturalized), Qld, N.S.W., Vic., N.T.
Text by D. W. Hardin
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Rachis winged and usually with small teeth or lobes between primary pinnae | Achillea distans |
| Rachis not winged or toothed between primary pinnae | 2 |
| 2 | Ray florets whitish, pink or mauve; leaves 2-pinnatisect with more than 15 pairs of leaflets | Achillea millefolium |
| Ray florets golden; leaves 2- or 3-pinnatisect with 10–15 pairs of leaflets
Back to 1 | Achillea filipendulina |
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