Determination of taxa of the Achillea millefolium qroup and Achillea crithmifolia bv morpholoqical and ~hvtochemicaml ethods I. Characterisation of Central European taxa1

A survey of morphological and phytochemical data characteristic for several taxa of the Achillea millefoliurn group (A. aspleniifolia VENT., A. roseoalba EHREND., A. collina J. BECKER ex REICHENB., A. ceretanica SENNEN, A. setacea W. ET K., A. pratensis SAUKEL & LANGER, A. styriaca SAUKEL ined., A. pannonica SC H E ELE, A. distans W. ET K., A. millefolium s. I., A. millefolium ssp. sudetica OPIZ) and A. crithmifolia W. ET K. is presented. For each taxon a short morphological description and a guide for microscopic analysis is given as well as its sesquiterpene composition including the TLC characteristics. Based on GLC analyses of 1523 single plants collected in Central Europe the sums of sabinene + β-pinene + β-caryophyllene (SUM I), a-pinene + 1,8-cineole (SUM 2), camphene + camphor + borneol (SUM 3), camphene + camphor (SUM 4) and 1,8-cineole + borneol (SUM 5) were found to be highly significant for distinct taxa or groups of taxa