Identification

Rhizomes are shallow and obliquely branched. Rosettes grow from prostrate basal stems with adventitious buds capable of growing roots. Rosette leaves have long stalks with pinnatifid, subpinnatifid, or coarsely and irregularly-toothed margins (see Figure 2).

Figure 2. oxeye daisy rosettes in mid-May.

Because of the long petiole and blade shape, rosette leaves have been described as spatula-shaped. Rosettes will grow in clumps resulting in plants with multiple flowering stems that are glabrous to slightly pubescent, 12 to 30 inches (30 to 76 cm) tall, and are simple or moderately branched (see Figure 3).

Figure 3. An oxeye daisy plant in the bud stage of floral development.

Stem leaves are sessile (without a petiol) and spirally arranged on the stem. Their shape is lanceolate or ligulate and their margins are coarsely-toothed (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Oxeye daisy leaf, flowering stem, and seed depiction.

All leaves are hairless, dark green, and glossy. Flowerheads are solitary at the stem tips and 1 to a little more than 2 inches (2.5 to 5.5 cm) in diameter (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. Oxeye daisy flowers blooming in July.

Fertile disc flowers are many (hundreds), tiny, and bright yellow, and there are 20 to 30 white, petal-like, sterile, ray flowers. The achenes (one-seeded fruits) are black with eight to 10 longitudinal ribs, 1 to 1.5 mm long, narrowly obovate, with small firm, rounded nodules or swellings at the apex, and without a pappus. When crushed, the plant has an unpleasant odor. Oxeye daisy can be distinguished from Shasta daisy by its smaller stature and lobed rosette leaves (Shasta daisy rosette leaves are dentate).

< Back to Ecology and Management of Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare Lam.)

Last Modified: 03/20/2008