74 



Fig. 28. 



OxEYE Daisy, White Daisy, White Weed, or Poverty Weed. 



Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, (L). 



The Oxeye Daisy is a weed naturalized from Europe, and is very 

 closely related to the Chrysanthemum or national flower of Japan. 



It is a perennial with short, thick rootstocks, possessed of much 

 vitality. Very many stems spring from one root. It grows from 6 

 inches to 3 feet high. The leaves slightly clasp the stem, the lower 

 ones, narrow, long, and toothed along the edges, the upper ones, small 

 and without teeth. They are slightly aromatic, more perceptibly so if 

 bruised. The flowers are 1 to 2 inches broad, on long stalks, with 

 from 20 to 30 white rays and bright yellow disc. The seed is about 

 1-12 in. long and angled, with alternate white and black longtitudinal 

 ribs. It has a short point but no pappus (Fig. 28). An average plant 

 produces 7,500 seeds. 



Time of flowering, June-August. 



Time of seeding, June-September. 



Dispersal — chiefly in grass seeds and by birds. 



Eradication. The Daisy is most troublesome in pastures, and 

 can be got rid of only by breaking up the sod. It can be eradicated 

 by the method outlined for Canada Thistle (Fig. 30) ; or by seeding 

 down to clover and plow up after one crop has been cut and taken off. 

 The clover should always be cut before the Oxeye Daisy has had a 

 chance to mature seed. 



