Achillea millefolium
Enable an AI agent to recognise Achillea millefolium, assess a plant or patch through its seasonal changes, and choose evidence-supported observation, cultivation, containment or sampling actions.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
6 bundles · 11 layers · 18 findings · 36 questions
Identity and circumscription Establish what evidence warrants assigning a plant to the registered Achillea millefolium concept.
Vegetative and floral diagnosis
Combine mature leaf and individual flower-head evidence.
Diagnostic character agreement
Record which characters agree with the applicable key, which conflict and which cannot yet be observed.
- Do mature leaves and dissected flower heads jointly satisfy the regional key for A. millefolium? definition
- Which head dimensions, floret counts and bract characters were measured, and on how many heads? measurement
- Which competing identification remains plausible, and what additional observation would discriminate it? boundary
Taxonomic and cultivated provenance
Preserve the meaning and origin of a determination.
Name application evidence
Connect the registry assignment to a dated treatment and evidence; retain cultivar or hybrid claims without treating a supplier label as verification.
- Which flora or taxonomic authority defines A. millefolium for this determination? provenance
- What voucher, photographs, determiner or nursery records support the identification and origin? provenance
- Does the evidence support this entry, only the broader species complex, or an unresolved cultivated Achillea? boundary
Seasonal body and persistence Track the living perennial through shoot turnover and below-ground persistence.
Shoot and flowering cycle
Represent vegetative growth, flowering, fruiting and seasonal decline at the observation site.
Stage-resolved condition
Record mixed stages within a patch and distinguish dated observations from assumed flowering calendars.
- What proportions of observed shoots are vegetative, budding, flowering, fruiting or senescent? measurement
- Did a change in flowering follow season, mowing, grazing or another recorded event? provenance
Crown, rhizome and shoot continuity
Connect visible shoots to persistent growth structures where evidence permits.
Persistence unit
Distinguish a shoot, a sampled connected division and a mapped patch; leave genetic individuality unresolved without appropriate evidence.
- Is the tracked unit one shoot, an observed connected crown-and-rhizome unit or a patch of uncertain connectivity? definition
- What living buds, roots or renewed shoots support persistence after above-ground dieback? measurement
- Can continuity be established by revisiting marked growth, or is an authorised below-ground inspection necessary? action
Site fit and plant condition Relate yarrow condition to exposure, drainage and disturbance.
Exposure and rooting environment
Use site observations to assess growing conditions; RHS guidance describes Achillea as favouring sun and well-drained soil. [RHS growing context](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/achillea).
Site-condition match
Record exposure and drainage alongside establishment, flowering and stem stability rather than assigning universal thresholds.
- What sun exposure and duration of soil saturation occur where this yarrow is rooted? measurement
- Which observed condition supports changing irrigation, drainage, shading or planting position? action
Injury and recovery
Assess damage and recovery without confusing symptoms, seasonal change and diagnosis.
Damage pattern and response
Locate damage on leaves, flowering stems and crowns, and connect recovery observations to dated disturbances.
- Which organs show lesions, discoloration, feeding damage, collapse or dieback, and how extensive is each symptom? measurement
- What evidence distinguishes seasonal senescence or cutting damage from a suspected pest, pathogen or rooting problem? boundary
- What follow-up observation would establish recovery or justify specialist diagnosis? action
Reproduction and patch management Track flowering, recruitment and vegetative expansion in relation to the intended role of the patch.
Flowering and recruitment
Separate flower production, insect visits, fruit formation and demonstrated seedling establishment.
Reproductive outcome
Record reproductive evidence without treating an insect visit as proven pollination or a new shoot as a seedling.
- What flowering heads, developing fruits and independently identified seedlings were observed? measurement
- Does the evidence establish insect visitation, successful fruit formation or viable seed production? boundary
- Should flower heads be retained or removed given the documented goal for this patch? action
Vegetative expansion and control
Track patch boundaries and post-intervention regrowth.
Spread and intervention outcome
Compare mapped extent before and after division, cutting or removal, retaining uncertainty about the origin of new shoots.
- How far has the occupied boundary moved between dated surveys? measurement
- Is new growth connected to existing rhizomes, independently established or of unresolved origin? boundary
- What propagation, containment or removal action fits the site objective, and when will regrowth be checked? action
Collection and use boundaries Govern the transition from living yarrow to collected specimens or material.
Sample identity and origin
Preserve the connection between collected organs and the determined source plant.
Traceable yarrow sample
Identify the sampled organs, seasonal stage, collection location and collection authority; record potential contamination as evidence or uncertainty.
- Which determined plant or patch supplied the leaves, flowering tops, fruits or below-ground material? provenance
- What permission and patch-condition evidence support collecting the proposed amount? action
- What site history or testing bears on pesticide exposure, contamination or mixing with other plants? provenance
Human-use handoff
Keep plant identification separate from product and clinical decisions; EMA reports hypersensitivity reactions and restrictions for yarrow herb medicines. [EMA yarrow herb assessment](https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/herbal/millefolii-herba).
Purpose-specific use gate
Record the intended destination and relevant unresolved constraints, then hand processing, formulation and therapeutic decisions to their owning models.
- Is the material intended for a voucher, cultivation, laboratory analysis, food or a medicinal product? definition
- Which downstream assessment must establish suitability for that purpose, including relevant allergy constraints? boundary
- What missing identity, quality or use-specific evidence requires withholding a recommendation to consume or apply the material? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of Achillea millefolium this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of Achillea millefolium this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of Achillea millefolium this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of Achillea millefolium this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of Achillea millefolium this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of Achillea millefolium this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of Achillea millefolium this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of Achillea millefolium this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- PHY
- Domain
- PHY.LIV
What it is Filled
A rhizomatous perennial of Asteraceae (tribe Anthemideae), the type species of Achillea, native across temperate Eurasia and North America and distinguished by 2-3-pinnatisect fern-like leaves and a flat corymb of small white-to-pink capitula; in European pharmacognosy it is the botanical source of Millefolii herba, the whole or cut dried flowering tops.
In scope
- Identification from leaves, flower heads and regional botanical keys
- Taxonomic determination, specimen evidence and cultivated or wild provenance
- Shoot, crown and rhizome condition across seasonal stages
- Flowering, fruiting, vegetative spread and patch persistence
- Site relationships and observed responses to cultivation or disturbance
- Plant-level constraints on propagation, removal and material collection
Out of scope
- Independent models of other Achillea species or provisionally distinguished members of the species complex
- Whole grassland, garden, soil or pollinator-community models
- Manufactured herbal products, extracts and essential-oil batches
- Clinical diagnosis, therapeutic efficacy, prescribing and dosage
- Nursery commerce, land ownership and jurisdiction-wide conservation rules
Why it exists Filled
Enable an AI agent to recognise Achillea millefolium, assess a plant or patch through its seasonal changes, and choose evidence-supported observation, cultivation, containment or sampling actions.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Inspect a small flowering unit with magnification: yarrow has a composite head containing ray and disc florets; a flat white cluster alone does not distinguish it from superficially similar Apiaceae such as wild carrot. Head structure is documented by [University of Texas botany](https://w3.biosci.utexas.edu/prc/K12/pages/Achillea%20millefolium.html).
- Check mature leaves for repeated fine division: the Flora of North America key separates A. millefolium from A. ptarmica and A. alpina, whose leaf blades are unlobed with toothed margins. [Flora of North America key](https://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=100191).
- Where the North American key applies, compare A. nobilis using multiple mature heads: it keys A. millefolium with 20-30 involucral bracts in three series and usually 5-8 ray florets, versus 10-13 bracts in one or two series and usually 8-10 rays in A. nobilis. Treat these as regional key characters requiring corroboration. [Flora of North America key](https://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=100191).
- For close members of the A. millefolium complex, record leaf division, hairiness and involucral-bract margins against the chosen regional treatment; appearance alone may leave the assignment unresolved because circumscriptions differ. [Flora of North America treatment](https://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=200023010).
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Present yarrow as a proven treatment for a disease without clinical evidence.
- Recommend its use during pregnancy or alongside medicines without medical advice.
- Harvest it from protected land or in quantities that harm wild populations.
Only with a human decision
- Giving herbal preparations to a person who is ill or taking medicines.
May
- Identify yarrow from its leaves and flower heads and report its habitat.
- Report its traditional and pharmacopoeial uses with sources.
Moral aspects Filled
- Herbal remedies can be useful or harmful; honest evidence protects users.
Who is affected
- People using herbal remedies
- People with allergies to daisy-family plants
Owners Filled
Steward
The landowner where it grows; herbal medicine regulators oversee products.
Master systems
- Plant name and occurrence databases
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q157957 - registry parent class
- Q190903 - registry parent class
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.achillea-millefolium
- Wikidata: Q25408 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q25408)
Direct properties required Filled
- Taxonomic determination: Registry entry, applied botanical treatment, determiner, date and supporting specimen or images
- Identification confidence: Provisional; supported by regional key; specialist verified; conflicting evidence
- Leaf dissection: Division order, ultimate-segment shape and leaf position; unknown when obscured
- Flower-head characters: Head and ray dimensions in mm; ray and involucral-bract counts per head; bract-series count
- Seasonal stage: Vegetative; budding; flowering; fruiting; senescent; dormant suspected; dead confirmed; mixed
- Patch extent: Occupied area in m², cover in %, mapped boundary and observation date
- Below-ground continuity: Observed rhizome connection between shoots; suspected connection; unexamined
- Crown and shoot condition: Living growth, dieback, lodging, discoloration, lesions and visible feeding damage, with affected extent
- Establishment provenance: Spontaneous; sown; planted division; nursery plant; unknown, with source locality or cultivar claim
- Site exposure and drainage: Sun exposure; freely drained, intermittently saturated or persistently saturated substrate; observation method
- Collection suitability: Unassessed; eligible for a specified purpose; restricted; unsuitable, with evidence
Recognition required Filled
- Finely divided, feathery leaves along an upright stem.
- Flat-topped clusters of small white to pink flower heads.
- A strong aromatic smell when crushed.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Document a provisional identification and request the missing leaf, head or specimen evidence.
- Revisit marked shoots and patch boundaries to assess flowering, survival and spread.
- Select and evaluate site or maintenance changes against observed plant response.
- Propagate by an appropriate documented method while retaining parent or seed-source provenance.
- Contain or remove unwanted growth and check for subsequent regrowth.
- Collect an authorised voucher or research sample with organ, stage and source-plant traceability.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Skin reactions in people allergic to daisy-family plants.
- Confusion with toxic look-alikes in the carrot family.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- The European Pharmacopoeia monograph on Yarrow, published by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare of the Council of Europe, specifies quality requirements for the herbal drug obtained from its flowering tops.
- The International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants, adopted through the International Botanical Congress, governs the scientific naming of this species.
Context of use required Filled
- This perennial is encountered in temperate grasslands, meadows, roadsides and cultivated gardens.
- It is studied in plant identification, pollinator ecology and management of spreading herbaceous vegetation.
- Its flowering tops also occur as an herbal raw material whose botanical identity and quality require verification.
Sources Filled
- Achillea millefolium - Morphology, height and leaf ranges, subspecies and North American varieties, native range, cultivation, traditional and food uses, I Ching stalks, dermatitis and veterinary toxicity
- Achillea millefolium - Flora of North America treatment: protologue (Sp. Pl. 2: 899. 1753), measurements of stems, leaves, heads and cypselae, and the one-species-versus-many-names problem in North America
- Millefolii herba - herbal medicinal product - HMPC traditional-use indications (appetite, mild GI spasm, menstrual cramps, small superficial wounds), age restriction, and the herbal name Millefolii herba
- Assessment report on Achillea millefolium L., herba (Revision 1), EMA/HMPC/376415/2019 - Ph. Eur. quality limits for essential oil and proazulenes, maximum daily herbal-tea dose, thujone caution, and national pharmacopoeial history
- Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/1316 amending Decision 2008/911/EC (Union list entry on Achillea millefolium L., herba) - Legal listing of Yarrow / Millefolii herba, Ph. Eur. monograph 07/2014:1382, allowed preparations and traditional indications
- Millefolii Herba (Yarrow) - Drug definition (dried flowering tops), essential-oil range and marker constituents, internal and external therapeutic indications
- Medicinal plant of the year 2025 - German pharmacognosy practice: Millefolii herba as flowering shoot tips, EuAB monograph, HMPC traditional-use framing
- Achillea millefolium - common yarrow - New England practice of distinguishing introduced subsp. millefolium from native lanulosa/borealis material, and the leaf-plane test versus A. ligustica
- Dog Daisy - Achillea millefolium - Garden and landscape use, contact dermatitis, pet hazard, weedy rhizomatous spread, and confusion with Tanacetum vulgare
- Achillea millefolium L. - Australian weed status and the leaf-rachis tests that separate A. millefolium from A. distans subsp. tanacetifolia and A. filipendulina
- Achillea millefolium - CAS 977000-16-0, MeSH term, and GHS statements applied to yarrow-derived materials (skin irritation and sensitisation)
- Yarrow for homoeopathic preparations / Millefolium for homoeopathic preparations - French Pharmacopoeia definition of the fresh flowering plant, macroscopic characters, and loss-on-drying test
- Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.): A Neglected Panacea? A Review of Ethnobotany, Bioactivity, and Biomedical Research - Worldwide ethnobotanical uses and the unresolved A. millefolium species-complex taxonomy (narrow European circumscription versus broad Holarctic species)
- Wikidata item Q25408: Achillea millefolium - identity and sense of the item
Open questions
- Which taxonomic authority and geographic treatment should define the registry entry's boundary within the A. millefolium complex?
- Which regional diagnostic character combinations reliably separate the relevant close species, and how should differing published bract counts be reconciled?
- What evidence is sufficient to establish local wild provenance or cultivar identity for restoration and propagation decisions?
- Which locally measured seasonal patterns and recovery responses should guide mowing, division, containment and mortality assessment?
- Which purpose-specific sampling, contamination and composition assessments are required before collected material can be accepted by a downstream food, research or medicinal-product model?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q25408/spec.json