Ox-Eye Daisy

Leucanthemum vulgare

Alternative Name(s): Chrysanthemum leucanthemum.

Family: Asteraceae.

Form: Herb

Origin: Native of Europe and western Asia.

Flowers/Seedhead: Many small flowers (florets) in heads surrounded by bracts in several rows, bracts with dark membranous margins, longest bracts 5–8 mm long. Flowers most of year, mainly spring and summer.

Description: Erect perennial herb to 1 m high. Leaves slightly hairy to hairless; basal and lower stem leaves ovate to spoon-shaped, to 15 (rarely to 18) cm long, to 2 (rarely to 4) cm wide, on a long stalk; stem leaves smaller, upper ones stem-clasping. Seeds dark brown, grey or black with pale ribs.

Distinguishing features: Distinguished by creeping roots; stem leaves alternate, toothed to pinnately lobed, upper leaves with base stem-clasping; flowerheads 1–3 (at ends of branches), mostly 3–6 cm wide; florets arising from a pitted receptacle without scales; outer petal-like ray florets 10–35, white, 1–1.5 cm long, entire to toothed at the tip; inner florets yellow, tubular; seeds about 2.5 mm long.

Dispersal: Spreads by seed and creeping roots.

Confused With: Shasta Daisy, Leucanthemum maximum, which generally has unbranched stems, flowers in heads 5–8 cm wide and regularly toothed leaves. Leucanthemum vulgare has irregularly toothed or lobed leaves.