white daisies

Member of sunflower family (family Asteraceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)

For the purposes of this page, “daisies” are defined as a plant in the sunflower family (family Asteraceae) in which the medium-sized head is composed of disk flowers (typically yellow) surrounded by a ring of ray flowers. This page collects in one place the daisies with white (or near white) rays for easier comparison.

See also yellow daisies for daisies with yellow rays.

Possible key features:

stem erect, decumbent, or prostrate (not to be confused with the peduncle), branching or not
shape and scale of leaves
scale of flower parts
shape and scale of involucre, phyllaries
hair anywhere? (e.g. stem base, upper stem, leaf top or bottom, phyllaries)

lawn daisy
Bellis perennis

1–several stems from base, decumbent or prostrate
wide phyllaries
disk flowers: yellow
ray flowers: 7–10 mm, narrow, white to pink or purple

genus Leucanthemum

stem erect, simple or distally branched
involucre flattened hemispheric
disk flowers: yellow
ray flowers: 13–34+; 12–30 mm

chamomiles
genus Anthemis

stem generally erect (or decumbent/ascending at Quicksilver)
leaf 1–3-pinnately divided into thread-like lobes (or wider lobes at Quicksilver)
disk flowers: generally yellow
ray flowers: 10–15, apparently ~5 mm, white

photo

german chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla

stem erect or decumbent
leaf 2–3-pinnately lobed; segments linear (longer than “real” chamomiles)
disk flowers: yellow
ray flowers: 10–25, 7–9 mm, white

fleabanes and horseweeds
genus Erigeron

stem generally erect
involucre urn- to bell-shaped or generally hemispheric
disk flowers: many, generally yellow
ray flowers: 0–many, 0–15 mm, generally white to pink or purple

hayfield tarweed
Hemizonia congesta

afro-australian daisies
genus Dimorphotheca

stem depends greatly on the species; see sub-key
disk flowers: blue-purple
ray flowers: 25–35 mm, adaxially white and abaxially blue-purple, sometimes deep violet at base or adaxially pink-purple to rose-purple and abaxially purple or deep rose-purple

american asters
genus Symphyotrichum

stem generally erect
disk flowers: generally yellow; anthers are highly exserted, giving the disk head a ragged appearance
ray flowers: 8–12 mm, pale violet, pistil has three linear lobes
leaves and phyllaries are glabrous and non-glandular

california aster
Corethrogyne filaginifolia

1–many stems from base, decumbent to ascending or erect, simple or distally branched
disk flowers: 12–120+, 4–8 mm, yellow; erect flowers stand clearly proud of the rays, are equal length throughout the disk
ray flowers: 10–43, white or pink to purple, conspicuously striate, no pistils
leaves are hairy, hairs often silvery
phyllaries are hairy or glandular

13 observed taxons / 14 unobserved taxons / 7 keys

Chris’s observations: 120 (72 are research grade)

Locations:

Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve: 7
Butano SP: 6
Coyote Lake / Harvey Bear Ranch CP: 6
San Pedro Valley CP: 6
Skyline Ridge OSP: 6
Sweeney Ridge National Recreation Area: 6
Monte Bello OSP: 5
Ed R. Levin CP: 4
Joseph D. Grant CP: 4
Kauai, HI: 4
Murray Ranch SP: 4
Andrew Molera SP: 3
Bear Creek Redwoods OSP: 3
Calero CP: 3
Golden Gate National Recreation Area: 3
Purisima Creek Redwoods OSP: 3
Sunol Wilderness RP: 3
Coyote Valley OSP: 2
DeLaveaga Park, Santa Cruz: 2
El Corte de Madera OSP: 2
Henry Cowell Redwoods SP - Fall Creek Unit: 2
Mt. Madonna SP: 2
Máyyan 'Ooyákma Coyote Ridge OSP: 2
Point Lobos SP: 2
Sibley Volcanic RP: 2
Wilder Ranch SP: 2
Windy Hill OSP: 2
Almaden Quicksilver CP
Alum Rock Park, San Jose
Coal Mine Ridge Nature Preserve
Coyote Hills RP
El Sereno OSP
Foothills Nature Preserve, Palo Alto
Fremont Older OSP
Henry Coe SP
Jacks Peak CP
La Honda Creek OSP
Long Ridge OSP
McNee Ranch / Montara Mountain SP
Pearson-Arastradero Preserve, Palo Alto
Pescadero Creek CP
Rancho Cañada del Oro OSP
Russian Ridge OSP
Salinas River
San Bruno Mountain State & County Park
Santa Clara Central Park
Santa Teresa CP
Sierra Azul OSP
Sierra Vista OSP
Stevens Creek CP
Ulistac Natural Area, Santa Clara

Months:

Feb.: 4
Mar.: 5
Apr.: 3
May: 10
Jun.: 21
Jul.: 19
Aug.: 14
Sep.: 18
Oct.: 13
Nov.: 9
Dec.: 4

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