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- Leucanthemum vulgare
Leucanthemum vulgare — ox-eye daisy
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Facts
Ox-eye daisy is native to Europe and Asia and introduced worldwide as a garden ornamental. It is considered a noxious weed in some states. The leaves can be eaten raw throughout much of the season with no bitter flavor.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats), meadows and fields, shores of rivers or lakes
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
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- 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
- 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 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
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 12–80 mm
- Disk flower number
- more than 50
-
Flowers
- Bases of bract appendages
- NA
- Bract cycle number
- there are three or more cycles of bracts
- Bract inner side hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their inner surfaces
- Bract keels
- the bracts do not have keels
- Bract margins
- there are few or no fine hairs along the bract margins
- Bract outer side hair type
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surface
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are not hairy on their outer surfaces
- 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 have a similar texture to a leaf
- Bract tip color
- the tips are a different color from the center of the bract
- Bract tip extension appearance
- NA
- Bract tip extension edge
- there are no projections from the bract tips
- Bract tip orientation
- the bracts are pressed against the plant, or spreading out at the tips
- Bract tip shape
- the tips of the bracts acute (have a sharp point)
- Bract width
- 2–3
- 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 width
- 10–20 mm
- Flower head number
- 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
- 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
- 12–20 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence stem
- the stem of the inflorescence is not hairy
- 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 ten or more ribs visible on the ovary
- Peduncle hairs
- the peduncles have no hairs
- Peduncle length
- 10–100 mm
- Peduncle orientation
- the flower heads are held upright, or slightly angled outwards
- 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
- Ray length
- 12–35 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
- Style branch number
- the style has two branches
- Style branches
- the style branch is wider at the tip and has a flattened end, or the style branches are wider at the tips and have flattened ends
- Width of flower head base
- 12–20 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 0
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 1.5–2.5 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
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
-
Glands or sap
- Bract resin
- the bracts have no resin or resin glands
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have no glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- 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)
-
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 not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- 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
- 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 teeth
- Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade hairs
- NA
- Leaf blade length
- 12–80 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is linear (very narrow with more or less parallel sides)
- the leaf blade is oblanceolate (lance-shaped, but with the widest point above the middle of the leaf blade)
- the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- the leaf blade is ovate (widest below the middle and broadly tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is spatulate (spoon-shaped; narrow near the base, then suddenly widening to a rounded tip)
- Leaf blade surface colors
- there is no noticeable color variation on the upper surface of the leaf
- Leaf blade tip
-
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- the tip of the leaf blade is obtuse (bluntly pointed)
- the tip of the leaf blade is rounded, with no point
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 8–30 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- 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
- 0–120 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 leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets
- Teeth per side of leaf blade
- 0
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
-
- Connecticut
- Maine
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
-
- man-made or disturbed habitats
- meadows or fields
- shores of rivers or lakes
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant does not have much of an odor
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Flowering stem cross-section
- the flowering stem is circular, or with lots of small angles
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem bloom
- there is no powdery or waxy film on the stem
- Stem internode hair direction
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Stem internode hair length
- At least 0 mm
- Stem internode hair type
-
- the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled
- 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
- Stem wings
- the stem does not have wings on it
Wetland status
Occurs only in non-wetlands. (Wetland indicator code: UPL)
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- present
- Maine
- present
- Massachusetts
- present
- New Hampshire
- present
- Rhode Island
- present
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
Exact status definitions can vary from state to state. For details, please check with your state.
- Massachusetts
- not applicable (S-rank: SNA)
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Leucanthemum vulgare Lam. E
ox-eye daisy. Chrysanthemum leucanthemum L.; C. leucanthemum L. var. pinnatifidum Lecoq & Lamotte; Leucanthemum leucanthemum (L.) Rydb.; L. vulgare Lam. var. pinnatifidum (Lecoq & Lamotte) Moldenke • CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT; throughout. Fields, roadsides, lawns, logging roads, river beaches.
Leucanthemum lacustre (Brot.) Samp. ×L. maximum (Ramond) DC. Leucanthemum ×superbum (Berg. ex J.W. Ingram) Berg. ex Kent is a rarely collected plant that has escaped from cultivation in ME. It is one species that is commonly referred to as the Shasta-daisy (along with L. maximum). It has toothed leaf blades, capitula mostly 5.1–12.7 cm in diameter, and stems usually 60–90 cm tall (with lobed lower leaf blades, capitula mostly 2.5–5.1 cm in diameter, and stems 10–30 (–100) cm tall in L. vulgare).
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Leucanthemella serotina:
- ray flowers sterile, not producing fruits, leaf blades glandular-punctate, and disk corolla tubes provided with resin glands (vs. L. vulgare, with ray flowers fertile, producing fruits, leaf blades without glandular-dots, and disk corolla tubes lacking resin glands).
Synonyms
- Chrysanthemum leucanthemum L.
- Chrysanthemum leucanthemum L. var. pinnatifidum Lecoq & Lamotte
- Leucanthemum leucanthemum (L.) Rydb.
- Leucanthemum vulgare var. pinnatifidum (Lecoq & Lamotte) Moldenke