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Oxeye
Daisy
Leucanthemum vulgare Lam.
Synonyms: L. leucanthemum, Chrysanthemum leucanthemum
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Family: Asteraceae,
Aster or Composite
Genus: Leucanthemum
Description
Plant height: 20-80 cm tall.
Growth habit:
erect perennial with a more or less well
developed rhizome, often growing in colonies.
Stems:
single or nearly so, hairless or sparsely hairy.
 Leaves: alternate, spoon-shaped, hairless or soft-hairy.
Basal leaves broad and stalked, 4-15 cm long, narrowly
lobed to blunt-toothed, stem leaves narrower, reduced and
becoming stalkless.
 Flowerheads: white, showy, about 5 cm wide, solitary
at the end of the long, leafless branches, with 15-30 rays,
1-2 cm long. The disk mostly 10-20 mm wide. Involucral
bracts with a narrow, dark-brown band near the edge.
Outer bracts lance-triangular, the inner more oblong.
Flowering time: May-October.
 Fruits: cylindrical achenes, about 10-ribbed, without
pappus.
Distribution
Fields, roadsides, and disturbed areas in w. and c. parts
of MT. Native of Eurasia, naturalized throughout much of
temperate N. America.
 
Edible and medicinal plant, see below. |
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(click on image for full size)
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(click on images for full size)
Edible uses:
The leaves of oxeye daisy can be eaten raw or cooked. The young spring shoots are finely chopped and added to salads. Since they are rather pungent, they should be used sparingly or mixed with other salad plants. The root root can be eaten raw too, preferably in the spring.
Medicinal uses:
The whole plant, and especially the flowers, has medicinal properties that are antispasmodic, cough-relieving, sweat- and urination-inducing and wound-healing. It is harvested in May and June and then dried for later use. The plant has been employed successfully in the treatment of whooping cough, asthma and nervous excitability. As a tonic, it acts similarly to chamomile flowers, and has been recommended for nightsweats. The flowers are balsamic and make a useful tea for relieving chronic coughs and for bronchial catarrhs. Boiled with the leaves and stalks and sweetened with honey, they make an excellent drink for the same purpose. In America, the root is also employed successfully for checking the night-sweats of pulmonary consumption, the fluid extract being taken, 15 to 60 drops in water. Externally, it is serviceable as a lotion for wounds, bruises, ulcers and some cutaneous diseases. A decoction of the dried flowers and stems has
been used as a wash for chapped hands. A distilled water made from the flowers is an effective eye lotion in the treatment of conjunctivitis. |
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