Fibrous-rooted perennial. Herbage sparsely strigose. Leaves all basal, petiolate, spatulate, entire to serrate, 2–6 cm long. Inflorescence a solitary head on an erect peduncle 5–15 cm. Heads radiate; involucre 4–6 mm high; phyllaries in 1 series, narrowly ovate, strigose; receptacle conical, naked. Rays white, female; ligules 4–9 mm long. Disk flowers yellow, perfect; corolla 1–2 mm long; style branch appendages deltoid. Pappus absent. Achenes 1–2 mm long, glabrous, obconic (
Lesica et al. 2012. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants. BRIT Press. Fort Worth, TX).
In Montana are 5 non-native species of “daisy” that exhibit the stereotypical appearance of white petals with yellow centers. They are distinguished by the following characteristics:
Lawn Daisy -
Bellis perennis, non-native and undesirable
* Plants: Annual with fibrous roots. Single, short stem, 5-15 cm.
* Basal Leaves: 2-6 cm long and with petioles. Blades spatulate (spoon) shaped. Margins smooth (entire) to toothed.
* Stem (Cauline) Leaves: Absent.
* Involucral Bracts: In 1 row, narrowly ovate, and with hairs (strigose).
* Habitat: Lawns (Montana; Lesica et al. 2022). Moist, waste places and roadsides (North America; Brouillet
inFNA 2006).
Oxeye Daisy –
Leucanthemum vulgare, exotic and noxious
* Plants: Rhizomatous perennial. Single, tall stem, 10-30(100+) cm. Overall plants are smaller or slenderer and have lobed basal leaves in comparison to Shasta Daisy.
* Basal Leaves: With long petioles, 1-3 cm. Blades 1.2-3.5 cm long and obovate (widest above middle) to spatulate (spoon) in shape. Leaf pinnately lobed or irregularly toothed less than half-way to their mid-vein.
* Stem (Cauline) Leaves: 1-4 cm long. Margins deeply serrate for their entire length. Becoming sessile upwards.
* Flower Heads: Ray petals 1-2(3) cm long; central disk, 1-2 cm in diameter.
* Involucral Bracts: In 2 to 4 rows, unequal, and with very few hairs (glabrate).
* Habitat: Roadsides, fields, meadows, and often colonizes forest openings and pastures that have been converted from forests.
Shasta Daisy –
Leucanthemum maximum, non-native and cultivated
* Plants: Rhizomatous perennial. Single, tall stem, 20-60(80+) cm. Overall plants grow taller, have larger flowerheads, and lack lobed basal leaves in comparison to Oxeye Daisy.
* Basal Leaves: Always present, 5-8 cm long. With petioles. Blades obovate to lanceolate or linear. Not lobed, but usually shallowly toothed.
* Stem (Cauline) Leaves: May be absent. If present then large, 5-12 cm long with or without petiole, sessile. Blades oblanceolate to elliptic, gradually tapered to petiole. Regularly serrate along the upper margins.
* Flower Heads: Ray petals 2-3 cm long; central disk, 2-3 cm in diameter.
* Involucral Bracts: In 2 to 4 rows, unequal, and with very few hairs (glabrate).
* Habitats: Cultivated plant that is sold for planting into gardens. Rarely has escaped into naturalized areas west of the Cascade Mountains (Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018) or sparingly adventive in Wyoming, California, and Alabama (Strother
in FNA 2006).
Corn Chamomile -
Anthemis arvensis, non-native
* Plants: Taprooted annual. Branched stem, 10-40 cm. Not aromatic.
* Stem (Cauline) Leaves: Finely dissected, 2-3 times pinnately divided from a short petiole.
* Flower Heads: Small, 6-13 cm in diameter.
* Involucral Bracts: In 3-5 rows, with scarious margins and long, soft, crooked,
and unmatted (villous) hairs.
* Habitat: Fields and roadsides. From a 1908 herbarium specimen in Lake County (Lesica et al. 2025).
Mayweed -
Anthemis cotula, non-native
* Plants: Taprooted annual. Single or branched stem, 10-60 cm. Aromatic (ill-scented).
* Stem (Cauline) Leaves: Finely dissected, 2-3 times pinnately divided from a short petiole.
* Flower Heads: Small, 5-9 mm in diameter.
* Involucral Bracts: In 3-5 rows, with scarious margins and sparsely villous hairs.
* Habitat: Fields and roadsides.
