Leucanthemum maximum
Leucanthemum maximum is a species of flowering plant in the aster family known by the common name max chrysanthemum.
Leucanthemum maximum | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Genus: | Leucanthemum |
Species: | L. maximum |
Binomial name | |
Leucanthemum maximum | |
Range
It is native to France and Spain but it can be found growing wild in other parts of the world as an introduced species and sometimes a garden escapee.
Description
It is a rhizomatous perennial herb growing 30 to 70 centimeters tall with many large serrated leaves around the base of the stem on winged petioles. There are smaller lance-shaped leaves alternately arranged along the stem. The inflorescence is generally a large, solitary flower head which may exceed 8 centimeters in diameter. It has a fringe of 20 to 30 white ray florets around a center of many densely packed yellow disc florets. The fruit is a small ribbed achene without a pappus.
Taxonomy
This species is one of the wild chrysanthemums Luther Burbank crossed to produce the popular garden hybrid known as the Shasta daisy, Leucanthemum × superbum.[1][2]
References
- Jepson Manual Treatment
- Chicago Botanic Garden. Chicago Botanic Garden evaluates Shasta daisy. Press Release. January 15, 2007.