Leucanthemum vulgare

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Distribution

This plant is widely distributed across various regions within Northern Europe. It can be found growing in the coastal and inland areas of Denmark and Finland. Its presence extends further north to the island of Iceland and the Faroe Islands. Additionally, the species is commonly documented throughout Great Britain. These locations represent the primary geographical range for this medicinal plant.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Leucanthemum vulgare is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to diverse environments and a broad altitudinal distribution. It thrives across a wide elevational gradient, ranging from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to high-altitude regions reaching 3400 m AMSL. This plant is commonly found in various habitats, including disturbed and open areas such as crop fields, meadows, and roadsides, as well as more rugged terrain like mountains and shrubberies. Its ability to colonize these varied settings allows it to persist in both nutrient-rich agricultural landscapes and more challenging, natural ecosystems.

Elevational range max:

3400 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

crop fields, meadows, mountains, roadsides, shrubberies

Life history

The life history of Leucanthemum vulgare is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, exhibiting a variable lifecycle that allows it to persist across multiple growing seasons. As a hemicryptophyte, its perennable buds are located at or just below the soil surface, providing a mechanism for survival through unfavorable environmental conditions. This plant maintains an evergreen deciduousness, ensuring that its vegetative structures remain functional throughout its developmental stages.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Leucanthemum vulgare is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and specifically a forb. It is a self-supporting plant that does not function as a climber or a liana, maintaining an independent lifestyle without acting as a parasite. As a terrestrial species, it does not exhibit epiphytic behavior and thrives in non-aquatic environments. In terms of stature, the plant typically reaches a mean height of approximately 0.51 meters, though its physical dimensions can vary significantly, with individual specimens ranging from a minimum height of 0.15 meters to a maximum height of 1 meter.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1 m

Plant height mean:

0.50975 m

Plant height min:

0.15 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Leucanthemum vulgare is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a standard metabolic strategy for temperate herbaceous plants. As a non-carnivorous species, it relies entirely on soil-based nutrient uptake and does not possess the specialized structures required for insectivorous nutrient acquisition; furthermore, it does not function as a nitrogen fixer. The plant's leaf morphology demonstrates significant variability, with leaf lengths ranging from a minimum of 3 cm to a maximum of 12 cm, resulting in a mean leaf length of 5.5 cm. The width of the leaves fluctuates between a minimum of 1.5 cm and a maximum of 3 cm, with a mean width of 2 cm. These dimensions contribute to a mean leaf size of approximately 6.69667 cm². Additionally, the plant exhibits a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 192.73 cm²/g, reflecting its leaf mass per area and its physiological approach to light interception and resource allocation.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf length max:

12 cm

Leaf length mean:

5.5 cm

Leaf length min:

3 cm

Leaf size mean:

6.69667 cm²

Leaf width max:

3 cm

Leaf width mean:

2 cm

Leaf width min:

1.5 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

192.73 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Leucanthemum vulgare is primarily sexual, characterized by bisexual flowers that allow for self-fertilization. The flowering period typically commences in May and continues through August. The plant utilizes a biotic pollination syndrome, specifically relying on insects such as bees to facilitate the transfer of pollen. Following successful pollination, the plant produces dry, indehiscent fruits known as achenes. These fruits are relatively small, with a mean length of 0.275 cm (ranging from 0.2 cm to 0.3 cm). Each fruit is highly productive, containing between 101 and 1000 seeds. The seeds themselves are uniform in length at approximately 2.5 mm, with a mean volume of 0.455 mm³ (ranging from 0.38 to 0.53 mm³) and a mean mass of 0.0008119666 g (ranging from 0.0002 g to 0.00143 g). Dispersal is achieved through both anemochorous (wind) and epizoochorous (attachment to animals) syndromes, ensuring the spread of the species across its habitat. No asexual reproduction methods were noted for this species.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Dispersal syndrome :

epizoochorous

Flowering time :

May

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit length max:

0.3 cm

Fruit length mean:

0.275 cm

Fruit length min:

0.2 cm

Fruit type :

achene

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed length mean:

2.5 mm

Seed mass max:

0.00143 g

Seed mass mean:

0.0008119666 g

Seed mass min:

2e-04 g

Seed volume max:

0.53 mm³

Seed volume mean:

0.455 mm³

Seed volume min:

0.38 mm³

Seeds_per_fruit :

101-1000

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Leucanthemum vulgare has 1 reported plant parts identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf.

Leaf

1. Frontiers in bioscience (Elite edition)

Conditions

Leucanthemum vulgare has 1 reported investigations on conditions identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include urinary tract infections.

Urinary tract infections

1. Frontiers in bioscience (Elite edition)

Preparations

Leucanthemum vulgare has 2 reported preparations identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include Dried ethanol extracts, leaves using water and ethanol as solvents.

Dried ethanol extracts

1. Phytotherapy research : PTR

Leaves using water and ethanol as solvents

1. Frontiers in bioscience (Elite edition)