Chrysanthemum leucanthemum L., Sp. Pl. 888. 1753; Matricaria leucanthemum (L.) Desv. in Lam., Encycl. Method. 3: 731. 1792; Tanacetum leucanthemum (L.) Schultz-Bip., Tanacet. 35. 1844; Pyrethrum leucanemum (L.) Franch., Fl. Cher. Et Loir. 307. 1885.

Perennial with up to 1 m tall, glabrous or ± hairy, simple or much branched shoots from ascending or horizontally creeping rhizome. Leaves, especially basal and median, long petioled, green-glaucous, obovate-spathulate to oblong-obovate, (1.5-) 2.5-10 (-15) cm long, basally cuneate, entire, crenate, obtusely toothed or deeply pinnatifid, upper stem leaves sessile. Capitula long-peduncled, radiate or discoid, (2-) 2.5-5 cm across, solitary or 2-6 (-10), in lax corymbs. Involucre saucer-shaped, 1-2 cm in diam., phyllaries ovate-oblong to lanceolate, 5-8 mm long, light to dark membranous margined, inner ones with wide apical appendage. Ray-florets, in radiate forms, 12-30, female, fertile, tube winged with 10-25 mm long, white ligules. Disc-florets and marginal florets in discoid capitula bisexual, yellow, 2.5-3 mm long, teeth deltoid, acute. Cypselas variable in size, 2-3 mm long, 10-ribbed. Pappus absent in disc-cypselas, present in ray-cypselas as unilateral, c. 0.3-0.5 mm long auricle.

Fl. Per.: May-September.

Type: Described from Europe, Herb. Cliff. 416.3 (BM).

“Oxeye Daisy” is commonly cultivated in gardens in hill stations in northern parts of Pakistan and is not eaten by cattle (Stewart, l. c.). In USA, it has become an obnoxious and aggressive weed and quickly establishes in wastelands, roadsides and meadows; Distribution: A native of Europe, distributed eastwards to Russia, Central Asia, China; introduced and naturalized in N America; cultivated in Indo-Pakistan subcontinent.