Achillea distans subsp. tanacetifolia
(All.) Janch. Tansyleaf MilfoilErect herb to c. 1.2 m high, sometimes branched above base; stems striate, pubescent. Leaves sessile, lanceolate in outline, pinnatisect, usually 5–20 cm long and 10–30 mm wide, pubescent to glabrescent; rachis 1–2 mm wide, winged, lobed or toothed between primary pinnae; primary pinnae usually more than 15 per leaf, ovate to lanceolate, mostly 5–25 mm long; ultimate lobes spreading in one plane. Capitula in dense compound corymbs, 4–6 mm diam.; involucral bracts oblong, 1–5 mm long, pubescent, margins dark and scarious. Ray florets c. 5; ligules, 2–4 mm long, white, pink or red. Disc florets c. 2.5 mm long, yellow. Cypselas to 3 mm long. Flowers spring and summer.
GleP, VVP, GipP, CVU, HSF, HNF, Strz, VAlp. Also naturalised NT, SA, Qld, NSW, ACT, Tas. Native to Europe. An ornamental herb that occasionally persists in abandoned gardens and has weakly naturalised in some areas.
This species is often mistakenly identified as Achillea millefolium, from which it differs in its winged rachises that are often toothed or lobed between the primary pinnae. The two species are, however variable in this feature, and some collections are difficult to identify with confidence.
Jeanes, J.A. (1999). Asteraceae. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 4, Cornaceae to Asteraceae, pp. 652–666. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
Spinning