YARROW (Milfoil) 



Achillea millefolium L. 



June - July A l{)n<i- time ago, far back in the days of heroic Grocee 



Fields, pastures when men wore gods and giMls were men. the hero 

 Achilles, it is said, discovered eertain medicinal virtues 

 in aromatic leaves whicli he u^i^d in treating 'relej)lnis during the i)lague. 

 That is the legeaid — and at any rate the ])lant which is native of Europe 

 and Asia has l)een namcnl Aehillea tor a gCKxl many centuries. Yarrow, 

 we call it, and know it as a eonnnon and not uni)h'asantly seented weed 

 of the summei- Held- jiiul roadsiih's. 



Yarrow i> a grey-green |)lnnl, a still", (ihrous stalk Ix'aring numerous 

 very finely divided leaves, iiliuost l'ernlik'(> in a|)|)earance. The hasal 

 rosette of fern-like leaves is hirger than the stem leaves and remains 

 throughout the wiiitei-. The st<Mn near the to|) hranelies and at the top 

 of each divided liraiuli is a Hat head of small white ilowers. These are 

 aiTanged with five s(|uarish. petal-like rays around a yellowish-wliite, stiff 

 center ot stamens and pistil. When tiie yarrow is in l)l(K)m it presents to 

 the sunnner sunshine anil rain a compact. Hat head or corymb of flowers 

 which lasi< a long time. When the ))lant at last has seiTcd its time and 

 the llower stalk dies, the llower liead remains in a dry state nnich as it 

 was in life. 



The entire |)lant is aromatic, an oiloi- n!)t unpleasant to most people, 

 but when cows mistakenly nibble yarrow leaves, a strong and most un- 

 ])leasant flavor and scent is given to the milk. When grass in the pasture 

 is amj)le and green, cows seldom or never eat yarrow or other undesirable 

 plants, but when |)asturage is low and focxi scarce, even the distasteful 

 yarrow may l)e devoured. 



154 



