| Leucanthemum | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leucanthemum vulgare | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Subfamily: | Asteroideae |
| Tribe: | Anthemideae |
| Genus: | Leucanthemum Mill. (1754) |
| Type species | |
| Leucanthemum vulgare Lam. | |
| Species | |
See text | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
PhalacrodiscusLess. | |
Leucanthemum is agenus of flowering plants in the asterfamily,Asteraceae.[2] Species range naturally from Europe through the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Siberia to the Russian Far East.[1] Some species are known on other continents asintroduced species, and some are cultivated asornamental plants. The nameLeucanthemum derives from the Greek wordsλευκός – leukos ("white") andἄνθεμον – anthemon ("flower"). Common names forLeucanthemum species usually include the namedaisy (e.g.ox-eye daisy,Shasta daisy), but "daisy" can also refer to numerous other genera in the Asteraceae family.
Leucanthemum species areperennial plants growing from red-tippedrhizomes. The plant produces one erect stem usually reaching 40 to 130 centimeters tall, but known to exceed 2 meters at times. It is branching or unbranched and hairy to hairless. Some species have mainly basal leaves, and some have leaves along the stem, as well. Some leaves are borne onpetioles, and others are sessile, attached to the stem at their bases. They vary in shape, and some are lobed or toothed.
Theflower head is solitary, paired, or in a group of three on the stem. The base of the head is layered with up to 60 or more rough-edgedphyllaries. TheLeucanthemum head has about 13 to 34 ray florets of various widths, occasionally more, and rarely none. The ray florets are always white but fade pink with age. The head has over 100 yellow disc florets at the center. The fruit is a ribbed, hairless cypsela.[3]
Leucanthemum species are used as food plants by thelarvae of someLepidoptera species, including thebucculatricid leaf-minersBucculatrix argentisignella,B. leucanthemella, andB. nigricomella, which feed exclusively onLeucanthemum vulgare.
51 species are accepted, along with several interspecies hybrids.[1]
Data related toLeucanthemum at Wikispecies
Media related toLeucanthemum at Wikimedia Commons
