daisy

(dā'zē)

1. Any of several plants of the composite family, especially a widely naturalized Eurasian plant (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) having flower heads with a yellow center and white rays. Also called oxeye daisy, white daisy.
2. A low-growing European plant (Bellis perennis) having flower heads with pink or white rays. Also called English daisy.
3. The flower head of any of these plants.
4. Slang. One that is deemed excellent or notable.

[Middle English daisie, from Old English dæges ēage : dæges, genitive of dæg, day + ēage, eye.]

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In addition to the idiom beginning with daisy, also see fresh as a daisy; push up daisies.

The daisy features in a light-hearted love divination, the petals being plucked off singly with the words ‘He loves me, he loves me not’ till all are gone, the last one deciding the issue. Daisy-chains are made by slitting the stem with a thumb-nail, threading another through it, and repeating the process; since modern lawns have few weeds, the game is getting rarer. It was said that spring had truly arrived if one could set one's foot on seven (or nine, or twelve) daisies at once (Vickery, 1995: 100-2).

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Daisies can represent beauty, purity, and innocence. Their color also links them to the sun, and thus to enlightenment and illumination.

Acronym for Dairy Information System—a well-known herd health program and dairy information management system. Designed at Reading University, UK.

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Leucanthemum vulgare Oxeye daisy
White Ox-eye daisy flower
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Leucanthemum
Species:	L. vulgare
Binomial name
Leucanthemum vulgare Lam.

Leucanthemum vulgare, the oxeye daisy, (syn. Chrysanthemum leucanthemum), is a widespread flowering plant native to Europe and the temperate regions of Asia. It is one of a number of Asteraceae family plants to be called a 'daisy,' and has the vernacular names common daisy, dog daisy, margarite, moon daisy, and ox-eye daisy.

Leucanthemum vulgare is a typical grassland perennial wildflower, growing in a variety of plant communities including meadows and fields, under scrub and open-canopy forests, and in disturbed areas. ^[1]

Contents 1 Description 2 Uses 3 Invasive species 4 Popular culture 5 Allergies 6 References 7 See also 8 External links

Description

Leucanthemum vulgare is a perennial herb 2 feet (61 cm) high by 1 foot (0.30 m) wide. The stem is mostly unbranched and sprouts laterally from a creeping rhizomatous rootstock. ^[1]

The leaves are dark green on both sides. The basal and middle leaves are petiolate, obovate to spoon-shaped, and serrate to dentate. The upper leaves are shorter, sessile, and borne along the stem.

Leucanthemum vulgare blooms from late spring to autumn. The small flower head, not larger than 5 centimetres (2.0 in), consists of about 20 white ray florets that surround a yellow disc, growing on the end of 1 to 3 ft (30 to 91 cm) tall stems. The plant produces an abundant number of flat seeds, without pappus, that remain viable in the soil for 2 to 3 years. It also spreads vegetatively by rhizomes. ^[1]

Uses

Leucanthemum vulgare: Oxeye daisy flower

Food

The un-opened flower buds can be marinated and used in a similar way to capers. ^[2]

Cultivation

Leucanthemum vulgare is widely cultivated and available as a perennial flowering ornamental plant for gardens and designed meadow landscapes. It thrives in a wide range of conditions and can grow in sun to partial shade, and prefers damp soils. There are cultivars, such as 'May Queen' which begins blooming in early spring.

In North Carolina it is planted along roadsides by the state highway department. ^[3]

Invasive species

Leucanthemum vulgare has became an introduced species via gardens into natural areas in parts of the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, where it is now a common weed. ^[4] In some habitats it is an invasive species forming dense colonies displacing native plants and modifying existing communities, and classified as a noxious weed. ^{[5] [6] [7]} It is difficult to control or eradicate, since a new plant can regenerate from rhizome fragments. ^[5]

Oxeye daisy is a host for several viral diseases affecting crops. ^[1]

Popular culture

The prose game "He loves me, he loves me not" (effeuiller la marguerite in French) is associated with this flower.

Allergies

Allergies to daises do occur usually causing contact dermatitis.^[8]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Cirrus.image - Leucanthemum vulgare . accessed 4.8.2011
2. ^ Ox-eye daisy capers, Daisy Capers at WildFoods.ca. Retrieved December 12, 2006.
3. ^ "Wildflowers Find Favor With Highway Gardeners" article by Felicity Barringer in the New York Times August 29, 2007
4. ^ Invasive.org: Ox-eye daisy. accessed 4.8.2011
5. ^ ^{a b} Cirrus.image - Ecological Impacts: Leucanthemum vulgare . accessed 4.8.2011
6. ^ USDA - Noxious Weed Information: & U.S. Weed Information: Leucanthemum vulgare . accessed 4.8.2011
7. ^ Jepson Manual treatment: common escaped flora in California. accessed 4.8.2011
8. ^ Gordon LA. "Compositae dermatitis. [Review] [30 refs] Australasian Journal of Dermatology. 40(3):123-8; quiz 129-30, 1999 Aug.

• Blanchan, Neltje (2005). Wild Flowers Worth Knowing. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. 

See also

• Buphthalmum salicifolium - Yellow oxeye daisy
• Argyranthemum frutescens - Marguerite daisy

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Leucanthemum vulgare

Wikiversity has bloom time data for Leucanthemum vulgare on the Bloom Clock

• USDA Plants Profile: Leucanthemum vulgare (oxeye daisy)
• Leucanthemum vulgare (oxeye daisy) — U.C. Cal.Photo gallery
• Cirrus: Leucanthemum vulgare photographs and information

This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
n. - bellis, marguerit, pragteksemplar

idioms:

• daisy chain    blomsterkrans
• daisy wheel    skrivehjul

Nederlands (Dutch)
madeliefje, margriet, juweel(tje)

Français (French)
n. - pâquerette, marguerite

idioms:

• daisy chain    guirlande de pâquerettes, (US, fig) série, chapelet
• daisy wheel    (Comput) marguerite

Deutsch (German)
n. - Gänseblümchen, Maßliebchen, (bot.) Margerite, (ugs) Prachtexemplar

idioms:

• daisy chain    Kranz aus Gänseblümchen
• daisy wheel    Typenrad

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - (φυτολ.) μαργαρίτα

idioms:

• daisy chain    γιρλάντα από μαργαρίτες, (Η/Υ) σύνδεση περιφερειακών συσκευών με κεντρικό υποσύστημα ελέγχου Η/Υ
• daisy wheel    "πεταλούδα" γραφομηχανής ή εκτυπωτή

Italiano (Italian)
margheritina

idioms:

• daisy chain    ghirlanda di margheritine
• daisy wheel    margherita
• pushing up daisies    veder l'erba dalla parte delle radici, morto e sepolto

Português (Portuguese)
n. - margarida (f) (Bot.)

idioms:

• daisy chain    coroa (f) de flores, série (f) de acontecimentos interligados
• daisy wheel    margarida (f) (de máquina de escrever)
• pushing up daisies    estar morto e enterrado (gír.)

Русский (Russian)
маргаритка

idioms:

• daisy chain    гирлянда из маргариток
• daisy wheel    печатающая головка
• pushing up daisies    мертвый

Español (Spanish)
n. - margarita

idioms:

• daisy chain    guirnalda de margaritas, (comput) dispositivos conectados en series lineales
• daisy wheel    impresora de margarita

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - tusensköna

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
雏菊, 一流的人物

idioms:

• daisy chain    雏菊花环, 环, 链
• daisy wheel    菊轮式打印机

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 雛菊, 一流的人物

idioms:

• daisy chain    雛菊花環, 環, 鏈
• daisy wheel    菊輪式印表機

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 데이지꽃, 매우 뛰어난 물건

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ヒナギク, フランスギク, 女子名, デイジー

idioms:

• daisy chain    ディジーチェイン
• daisy wheel    デージーホイール

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) زهرة اللؤلؤ, زهرة الربيع, شخص أو شئ ممتاز‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮חיננית (פרח)‬

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