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Achillea ptarmica L., Sneezewort

Account Summary

Native, common. Eurasian boreo-temperate.

1881-2; Barrington, R.M.; Co Fermanagh.

May to November.

Growth form and preferred habitats

Sneezewort is an easily recognised white, daisy-flowered, almost scentless perennial, usually 20 to 60 cm tall, but sometimes capable of reaching 100 cm. Stems grow erect from a slender, creeping rootstock, are little-branched and bear narrowly-elliptical to linear, dark green, glabrous leaves with fine, sharp teeth on their margins, like a fine saw, the teeth pale-tipped (Hutchinson 1972; Sell & Murrell 2006).

It is a plant of marshy and wet places including meadows, roadside verges, hedge-banks and stream-banks, as well as on heaths, fens, in hillside flushes and, occasionally, on blanket bogs and the margins of wet woods (Butcher 1961; H.J. Killick & K.J. Walker, in: Stroh et al. 2023). Sneezewort is widespread and locally common, but is never, or very seldom, abundant in constantly damp, but not constantly wet, moderately acid, infertile, calcium-poor soils (Garrard & Streeter 1983). These conditions are often met where the winter water-table is high under clay or peaty soils (Sinker et al. 1985). BSBI survey work has shown that A. ptarmica occurs from sea-level to 770 m at Cross Fell in Cumberland (VC 70) (H.J. Killick & K.J. Walker, in: Stroh et al. 2023).

Flowering reproduction

A. ptarmica flowers from July to September, the erect flowering stems bearing 10-15 flowerheads, 18-20 mm diameter, held in a loose, ± flat-topped inflorescence or in terminal clusters on the flowering stem. The ray-florets, usually around eight in number in each flowerhead, are very broad, with white or greenish-white, 3-toothed, orbicular rays, c 5 mm long. The tubular central florets are often brownish-grey or greenish in colour and both types of floret on the conical receptacle are pollinated by bees and flies (Garrard & Streeter 1983). The achene fruits are flattened, smooth, short, black and only about 2 mm long. Since they lack a plumed pappus, the achenes are most probably dispersed in mud by animals and man, supplemented by rain-wash transport (Butcher 1961; Salisbury 1964).

Vegetative reproduction

Although A. ptarmica has a creeping woody rootstock, vegetative increase and dispersal appears very much slower and almost insignificant in comparison with its rhizomatous, clonal relative, A. millefolium (Yarrow). Seed would appear to offer the dominant mode of reproduction, but a detailed reproductive and population study of Sneezewort remains to be completed.

A. ptarmica can tolerate light grazing and trampling pressure, but it cannot survive much shade (Sinker et al. 1985). The established strategy of A. ptarmica is categorised as SC/CSR meaning it is considered intermediate between a Stress-tolerant Competitor and a more balanced mix of all three ecological strategies, Competitor, Stress-tolerator and Ruderal (Grime et al. 1988, 2007).

Fermanagh occurrence

A. ptarmica is principally found in damp, rushy grasslands and winter-wet, water-meadows around the larger lakeshores in Fermanagh, but is also found on damp woodland margins and in rough grass on roadsides. Sneezewort has been recorded in 165 Fermanagh tetrads, 31.3% of those in the VC.

British and Irish occurrence

In both B & I, A. ptarmica has a N & W distribution, being more local in the S & E. This tendency is markedly displayed in Ireland, where the plant is very frequent in the northern half of the island, but merely local and occasional in the south. In Britain, A. ptarmica has certainly declined in the southern half of the country since the 1960s or earlier, mainly due to drainage and habitat destruction, generally associated with changes in agricultural management and increased urban development. In many VCs in southern Britain, Sneezewort has now become a rarity or is moving in that direction. This contrasts with the position in Scotland and Ireland, where at the hectad level of discrimination, A. ptarmica appears to be either increasing, or more likely, is better and more systematically recorded than previously was the case (BSBI Atlas 2; An Irish Flora 1996; H.J. Killick & K.J. Walker, in: Stroh et al. 2023).

European and world occurrence

A. ptarmica belongs to the Eurasian boreo-temperate phytogeographical element and is widespread throughout Europe both as a native and as an introduced and naturalised plant. It is distributed from just within the Arctic Circle in Norway and Sweden southwards, but is, however, absent from most of the Mediterranean region – although it does occur in N Spain, all of France including the Mediterranean coast, plus N Italy. It is also widespread in SW Asia and Siberia and is introduced in N America (Hultén & Fries 1986, Map 1806; Sell & Murrell 2006). It has also been introduced to New Zealand, but had only escaped into the wild once on each island when reported upon by Webb et al. (1988).

Uses

Like A. millefolium, the plant was previous cultivated for medicinal and culinary use in salads. Herbal medicine claimed it promoted saliva flow and was good for treating toothache. It was also believed useful for treating stomach ailments (Allen & Hatfield 2004). Grieve (1931) reported that Achillea millefolium and A. ptarmica, "both once famous in physic, were discarded officially in 1781".

In horticulture, double varieties with ligulate, ray-florets only, called 'Bachelors' Buttons' (forma ligulosa Vilm.) are regularly grown as decorative subjects and these may sometimes escape from gardens (Sell & Murrell 2006.

Names

The genus name 'Achillea' is named in honour of the Greek warrior Achilles who, in mythology, was taught the healing properties of this herb by his tutor Chiron the Centaur, who was half man and half horse (Stearn 1992). The species name 'ptarmica' comes from a Greek name in Dioscorides of a plant with small camomile-like heads and leaves like an olive, which caused sneezing and was used like snuff and hence the common name 'Sneezewort' (Gilbert-Carter 1964). Another suggestion for the common name origin is that it is a translation (by Gerard 1597) of its old German name 'Niesskraut', or of the apothecaries' Latin 'herba sternutatoria', since A. ptarmica was identified with the Greek 'ptarmike' of Dioscorides (the Greek 'ptarmikos' means 'to sneeze') (Grigson 1974).

Alternative local English names include 'Neesewort' and 'Old Man's Pepper-box' (ie the devil's pepper-box) (Somerset), 'White Tansy' and 'White-weed' (N Ireland) (Britten & Holland 1886; Grigson 1955, 1987).

Threats

None.

References

Perring, F.H. and Walters, S.M.(eds.) (1962, 1976); Webb,D.A., Parnell,J. and Doogue,D. (1996); Garrard, I. and Streeter, D. (1983); Salisbury, Sir E. (1964); Gilbert-Carter, H. (1964); Grigson, G. (1974); Grigson, G. (1955, 1987); Britten, J. and Holland, R. (1886); Butcher 1961; Hutchinson 1972; Hultén & Fries 1986; Sell & Murrell 2006; Stroh et al. 2023; Sinker et al. 1985; Stearn 1992; Webb et al. (1988); Allen & Hatfield 2004; Grieve (1931); Grime et al (1988, 2007); Gerard (1597)