Tufted herbs, with branching or scapose stems, alternate or basal leaves, and rather large heads of both tubular and radiate flowers, solitary at the ends of the branches, or of the monocephalous scape. Involucre hemispheric or broadly campanulate, its bracts herbaceous, imbricated in 1 or 2 series, nearly equal. Receptacle convex or conic, naked. Ray-flowers white or pink, pistillate. Disk-flowers yellow, perfect, their corollas tubular, the limb 4-5-toothed. Anthers obtuse and entire at the base. Style-branches flattened, their appendages short, triangular. Achenes flattened, obovate, nerved near the margins. Pappus none, or a ring of minute bristles. [Latin, pretty.]

About 9 species, natives of the northern hemisphere. Only the following are known to occur in the United States, but 2 others are found in Mexico. Type species: Bellis perennis L.

Stem branched, 6'-15' high; involucral bracts acute.

1. B. integrifolia.

Scapes monocephalous, 1'-7' high; involucral bracts obtuse.

2. B. perennis.

1. Bellis Integrifolia Michx. Western Daisy

Fig. 4270

Bellis integrifolia Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. 2: 131. 1803.

Slender, diffusely branched, pubescent, 6'-15' high. Leaves thin, entire, obtuse, the lower and basal ones spatulate, 1' - 3' long, narrowed into margined petioles, the upper smaller, oblong, oblanceolate or linear; heads 6"-15" broad; bracts of the involucre acute or acuminate, scarious-margined, glabrous or nearly so; rays usually violet, oblong-linear; peduncles terminating the branches, 2-7' long.

In moist soil, Kentucky and Tennessee to Arkansas and Texas. May-July.

2. Bellis Perennis L. European Or Garden Daisy. Marguerite

Fig. 4271

Bellis perennis L. Sp. Pl. 886. 1753.

Perennial, tufted. Leaves all basal, obovate, obtuse, slightly dentate, 1'-2' long, narrowed into margined petioles, pubescent and ciliate; scapes naked, 1' - 7' high, usually several from the same root, pubescent; heads 6"-12" broad; rays numerous, linear, white, pink, or purple; bracts of the involucre oblong, obtuse, usually purple.

In waste places, or occasionally spontaneous on lawns, southern New York and eastern Pennsylvania to Nova Scotia and Ontario. Fugitive from Europe. Native also of Asia. Naturalized in California and British Columbia. Herb-margaret. Ewe-or may-gowan. Childing-daisy. Bone- or bruise-wort. Bone-flower. Hen-and-chickens. Ban-wort. Bennert. March daisy. Bairn-wort. April-Nov.