- You are here:
- Dichotomous Key
- Asteraceae
- Asteraceae Group 4
- Arctanthemum
- Arctanthemum arcticum
Arctanthemum arcticum — arctic-daisy
Copyright: various copyright holders. To reuse an image, please click it to see who you will need to contact.
Facts
Arctic-daisy, as the name suggests, is distributed from Alaska across northern Canada to Quebec along the arctic coast, where it prefers wet brackish habitats. It is sometimes grown in gardens, and plants in Massachusetts may be horticultural escapees into fields and roadsides.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
Found this plant? Take a photo and post a sighting.
Characteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Ray flower color
- white
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- NA
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 4–50 mm
- Disk flower number
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- Bract color
- the bracts are not colored or tinged with pink, red or purple
- Bract cycle number
- there are three or more cycles of bracts
- Bract outer side hair type
-
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces, with curled, tangled, matted, or woolly hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surface
- Bract outer side hairs
-
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract separation
- the bracts appear completely unconnected to one another on all flower heads
- Bract shape
-
- the main bracts are lanceolate (widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip)
- the main bracts are oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- Bract spines
- the bracts have no spines
- Bract texture
- the bracts appear thin, flexible and nearly translucent
- Bract tip color
- the tips are a different color from the center of the bract
- Bracts
- the bracts in separate cycles are similar or gradually changing from the outer to inner cycles
- Disk flower color
- yellow
- Disk flower lobe number
- 5
- Disk flower number
- more than 50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Disk flower shape
- the disk flower is tube-shaped (cylindrical), or gradually widening like a funnel
- Flower head number
-
- each flowering stem has four or more flower heads on it
- each flowering stem has only one to three flower heads on it
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, each flower has a single enlarged lobe or strap
- Flower head platform
- the base has no bristles or papery scales
- Flower head platform surface
- NA
- Flower head position
-
- each of the flower heads is separate on its own peduncle (stalk), not clustered in groups
- some or all the flower heads are grouped in clusters of two or more
- Flower head profile
-
- the disk is conical across the top
- the disk is rounded across the top
- Flower head shape
- the flower head is hemispherical (like the bottom half of a sphere)
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Height of flower head base
- 12–22 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
- NA
- Inflorescence stem
- hairs are present on the stem of the inflorescence
- Number of bracts at flower head base
- 22–44
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary has five or more corners in cross-section
- Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary lines or ribs
-
- there are four to six lines or ribs visible on the ovary
- there are seven to nine ribs visible on the ovary
- there are ten or more ribs visible on the ovary
- Ovary profile
- in profile, the ovary is another shape
- Peduncle hair type
-
- NA
- the hairs on the peduncles appear tangled or woolly
- Peduncle hairs
-
- the peduncles are hairy
- the peduncles have no hairs
- Ray flower color
- white
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- the ray flowers have carpels or stamens, but not both
- Ray flowers
-
- 11-15
- 16-25
- 26-50
- 6-10
- Ray length
- 7–21 mm
- Reproductive system
- some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens
- Scale tip
- NA
- Smaller bracts at base of bracts
- there is no smaller, outer cycle of bracts
- Style branch number
- the style has two branches
- Width of flower head base
- 13–29 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 0
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 1.5–2.5 mm
- Ovary width in developed fruit
- 0.5 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- NA
- Seed hair tuft color
- NA
- Seed hair tuft details
- NA
- Seed hair tuft length
- 0 mm
- Seed hair tuft tips
- NA
- Seed hairs uniform
- NA
- Seed tuft scale number
- 0
- Seed tuft type
- there is no pappus on the ovary
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
- NA
-
Glands or sap
- Ovary glands
- there are glands on the ovary surface
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
-
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
- there is a thickened taproot on the plant
-
Leaves
- Final leaf segment length (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 0 mm
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
-
- the upper side of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
-
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- basal: the leaves are growing only at the base of the plant
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- the leaf has no petiole and at the base it clasps the stem, or goes all the way around the stem so the stem appears to pierce the leaf
- Leaf blade base shape
-
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- the base of the leaf blade is truncate (ends abruptly in a more or less straight line as though cut off)
- Leaf blade bloom
-
- the underside of the leaf has no noticeable bloom
- there is a noticeable powdery or waxy bloom on the underside of the leaf
- Leaf blade edges
-
- the edge of the leaf blade has lobes, or it has both teeth and lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has no teeth or lobes
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade flatness
- the edges of the leaf are curled under
- Leaf blade hairs
-
- NA
- the leaf blade has tangled or woolly-looking hairs
- Leaf blade length
- 4–50 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- the leaf blade is spatulate (spoon-shaped; narrow near the base, then suddenly widening to a rounded tip)
- Leaf blade tip
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
- Leaf blade veins
-
- NA
- the leaf blade has three main veins running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 1–40 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the lower leaves are larger, toothier, and/or on longer stalks than the upper leaves
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
-
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf stalk length
- 0–95 mm
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf tufts in axils
- there are no clusters of smaller leaves
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- 0
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- the leaf has lobes that radiate from the base, somewhat like a hand
- the leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Teeth per side of leaf blade
- At least 0
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Massachusetts
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem internode hair direction
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Stem internode hair type
-
- at least some of the hairs on the stem are tangled, matted or woolly
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
- Stem internode hairs
-
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
- the stem has no hairs between the nodes
Wetland status
Occurs only in wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: OBL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- absent
Conservation status
None
Subspecies and varieties
Our subspecies is Arctanthemum arcticum (L.) Tzvelev ssp. polare (Hultén) Tzvelev.
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Arctanthemum arcticum (L.) Tzvelev ssp. polare (Hultén) Tzvelev E
arctic-daisy. Chrysanthemum arcticum L. var. polare (Hultén) Boivin; Dendranthema arcticum (L.) Tzvelev ssp. polare (Hultén) Heywood; D. hultenii (A. & D. Löve) Tzvelev • MA. Fields, roadsides, gardens.
Native to North America?
Yes and no (some introduced)
Sometimes confused with
- Nipponanthemum nipponicum:
- subshrubs with evergreen leaves that are clustered near the growing apex of the plant and with blades longer than wide and (vs. A. arcticum, which are herbs with deciduous leaves not clustered near apex of plant and with blades approximately as long as wide).
Synonyms
- Chrysanthemum arcticum L. var. polare (Hultén) Boivin
- Dendranthema arcticum (L.) Tzvelev ssp. polare (Hultén) Heywood
- Dendranthema hultenii (A. & D. Löve) Tzvelev