- Leucanthemum vulgare
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Leucanthemum vulgare
Oxeye daisy
White Ox-eye daisy flower Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Genus: Leucanthemum Species: L. vulgare Binomial name Leucanthemum vulgare
Lam.Leucanthemum vulgare, the oxeye daisy, (syn. Chrysanthemum leucanthemum), is a widespread flowering plant native to Europe and the temperate regions of Asia. It is one of a number of Asteraceae family plants to be called a 'daisy,' and has the vernacular names common daisy, dog daisy, margarite, moon daisy, and ox-eye daisy.
Leucanthemum vulgare is a typical grassland perennial wildflower, growing in a variety of plant communities including meadows and fields, under scrub and open-canopy forests, and in disturbed areas. [1]
Contents
Description
Leucanthemum vulgare is a perennial herb 2 feet (61 cm) high by 1 foot (0.30 m) wide. The stem is mostly unbranched and sprouts laterally from a creeping rhizomatous rootstock. [1]
The leaves are dark green on both sides. The basal and middle leaves are petiolate, obovate to spoon-shaped, and serrate to dentate. The upper leaves are shorter, sessile, and borne along the stem.
Leucanthemum vulgare blooms from late spring to autumn. The small flower head, not larger than 5 centimetres (2.0 in), consists of about 20 white ray florets that surround a yellow disc, growing on the end of 1 to 3 ft (30 to 91 cm) tall stems. The plant produces an abundant number of flat seeds, without pappus, that remain viable in the soil for 2 to 3 years. It also spreads vegetatively by rhizomes. [1]
Uses
Leucanthemum vulgare: Oxeye daisy flower
- Food
The un-opened flower buds can be marinated and used in a similar way to capers. [2]
- Cultivation
Leucanthemum vulgare is widely cultivated and available as a perennial flowering ornamental plant for gardens and designed meadow landscapes. It thrives in a wide range of conditions and can grow in sun to partial shade, and prefers damp soils. There are cultivars, such as 'May Queen' which begins blooming in early spring.
In North Carolina it is planted as a roadside wildflower by the state highway department. [3]
Invasive species
Leucanthemum vulgare has became an introduced species via gardens into natural areas in parts of the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, where it is now a common weed. [4] In some habitats it is an invasive species forming dense colonies displacing native plants and modifying existing communities, and classified as a noxious weed. [5] [6] [7] It is difficult to control or eradicate, since a new plant can regenerate from rhizome fragments. [5]
Oxeye daisy is a host for several viral diseases affecting crops. [1]
Popular culture
The prose game "He loves me, he loves me not" (effeuiller la marguerite in French) is associated with this flower.
Allergies
Allergies to daises do occur usually causing contact dermatitis.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d Cirrus.image - Leucanthemum vulgare . accessed 4.8.2011
- ^ Ox-eye daisy capers, Daisy Capers at WildFoods.ca. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
- ^ "Wildflowers Find Favor With Highway Gardeners" article by Felicity Barringer in the New York Times August 29, 2007
- ^ Invasive.org: Ox-eye daisy. accessed 4.8.2011
- ^ a b Cirrus.image - Ecological Impacts: Leucanthemum vulgare . accessed 4.8.2011
- ^ USDA - Noxious Weed Information: & U.S. Weed Information: Leucanthemum vulgare . accessed 4.8.2011
- ^ Jepson Manual treatment: common escaped flora in California. accessed 4.8.2011
- ^ Gordon LA. "Compositae dermatitis. [Review] [30 refs] Australasian Journal of Dermatology. 40(3):123-8; quiz 129-30, 1999 Aug.
See also
External links
Categories:- Anthemideae
- Flora of Europe
- Flora of Central Asia
- Inflorescence vegetables
- Medicinal plants
- Invasive plant species in Australia
- Invasive plant species in New Zealand
- Invasive plant species in the United States
- Invasive plant species in California
- Garden plants of Asia
- Garden plants of Europe
- Flowers
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