2. Achillea biebersteinii Afan., Not. Syst. Leningr. 19: 361. 1959; Hub.-Mor. in P.H.Davis, Fl. Turk. 5: 250. 1975; I. Richardson in Tutin et al., Fl. Europ. 4: 165. 1976; Hub.-Mor. in Rech. f., Fl. Iran. 158: 69. t. 70. 1986; Afan. in Schischk. & Bobrov, Fl. USSR 26: 92. 2000 (Engl. transl.); Ghafoor & Al-Turki in Chaudhary, Fl. Kingd. Saudi Arabia 2 (3): 176. Pl. 57. 2000.
Achillea micrantha Willd., Sp. Pl. 3: 2209. 1831, non Willd., Tract. de Achilleis 33. 1789; DC., Prodr. 6: 29. 1838; Boiss., Fl. Or. 3: 264. 1875.
Upright, up to 1 m tall, mostly unbranched herb with longitudinally striped, terete, ± densely patent hairy stem. Leaves lax to ± dense hairy, cauline akin to basal (± homomorphic), 2.5 – 12 x 0.5 – 2.5 (-3.5) cm, rachis entire, 0.5 – 1 mm wide, primary lobes numerous, ultimate segments setaceous to linear-lanceolate, 1 – 4 x 0.2 – 1 mm, acute to acuminate. Capitula numerous (30 – 200 or more), on laxly patent hairy, short peduncles, in 2 – 10 cm broad corymbs. Involucre oblong to broadly ovoid, 3 – 4 x 2 – 3 mm, basally attenuate; phyllaries pale, hairy outside, ovate-triangular to oblong, outer ± acute, inner with scarious obtuse apices. Palae lanceolate, membranous, subacute to obtuse, apically glabrous to hairy and ± lacerate. Ray-florets 4 – 5, with golden yellow, 1 – 2 mm long ligules. Disc florets 10 – 30, with 2.5 – 3 mm long corolla. Cypselas c. 1 mm long.
Fl. Per.: June-August.
Type: Described from Cappadocia (Anatolia) (Lectotype: B-Willd. 16356/5 (photo).
Distribution: East Europe, East Turkey, Caucasus, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Palestine and Saudi Arabia.
Reported from Afghanistan especially from the border area of Pakistan – Kurram Valley – Hariab Dist. It is likely to occur in Pakistan also.
