DAISY

Bellis perennis

Daisy & Dandelion Family [Asteraceae]  

month8Jan month?allyear month8Feb month8mar month8march month8apr month8april month8May month8jun month8june month8jul month8july month8Aug month8sep month8sept month8Oct month8Nov month8Dec

status
statusZnative
flower
flower8bicolour
flower
flower8white
inner
inner8yellow
morph
morph8actino
petals
petalsZmany
stem
stem8round
sex
sexZbisexual

25th April 2005, Lancaster Canal. Photo: © RWD
A fairly unusual high density gathering not in a lawn. Note the Daisy leaves between the flowers.


2nd May 2007, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Hoscar. Photo: © RWD
The flowers close up at night, and unfold in the morning sunshine. Here they are only just awakening and the undersides of the petals are tipped red on some specimens.


7th June 2005, Highfield, Sefton Coastal Path, Merseyside. Photo: © RWD
The basal leaves are spoon-shaped.


31st May 2005, Leeds & L/pool Canal, Barrowford. Photo: © RWD


31st May 2005, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Barrowford, Photo: © RWD
Some petals are nicked at the tips.


2nd May 2008, Parkhead ex-steel-works, Daisy Nook, Manchester. Photo: © RWD


29th May 2010, Hodbarrow, Millom. Photo: © RWD
Very red outer petals (which are only red on the outer side).


3rd April 2009, canal boat trip, Lancaster Canal. Photo: © RWD
Sepals are dark-green and hairy. Petals may be tinged red, especially when newly opened.


3rd April 2009, canal boat trip, Lancaster Canal. Photo: © RWD
Sepals are many and triangular. An outer circle overlaps and intermeshes with an inner circle of sepals of similar or slightly shorter length.


Some similarities to : Mexican Fleabane.

Uniquely identifiable characteristics: Is short, small, white flowers with yellow centres and grows in lawns everywhere. Possibly the commonest wild flower in England.

Daisy have solitary white with yellow centre flowers on a short, thin 2 inch long leafless stalk. The only leaves are the several spoon-shaped leaves radiating from the base, usually hidden by grass. It inhabits lawns everywhere.

Children love making daisy chains with them.

Although the chart hints that daisy is in flower year-round, there is usually a deep winter period when it is not in fact in flower at all.

Seven saponins have been isolated from Daisys, which have been shown to have inhibitory effects on several fungi that infect humans. It also contains the saponin Polygallic Acid which is effective against the fungus Ceratocystis ulmi which is responsible for Dutch Elm Disease in Elm trees.

A POLYACETYLENE (POLYYNE)

Lachnophyllum ester is a polyacetylenic (polyyne) compound with two triple-bonds not un-like Falcarinone found in Ivy. It is poisonous and occurs not only in Daisy but also in Canadian Fleabane (Erigeron canadensis). It was found in (Lachnophyllum gossypinum), a non-native plant which is also in the Dandelion & Daisy Family (Asteraceae).


  Bellis perennis  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Asteraceae  

Distribution
family8Asteraceae family8Daisy family8Dandelion
 BSBI maps
genus8bellis
Bellis
(Daisy)

DAISY

Bellis perennis

Daisy & Dandelion Family [Asteraceae]  

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