Appearance
It is an herbaceous perennial plant with short creeping rhizomes and rosettes of small rounded or spoon-shaped leaves that are from 3/4 to 2 inches long and grow flat to the ground. The species habitually colonises lawns, and is difficult to eradicate by mowing - hence the term 'lawn daisy'. Wherever it appears it is often considered an invasive weed.The flowerheads are composite, in the form of a pseudanthium, consisting of many sessile flowers about 3/4 to 1-1/4 in in diameter, with white ray florets and yellow disc florets. Each inflorescence is borne on single leafless stems 3/4 - 4 in, rarely 6 in tall. The capitulum, or disc of florets, is surrounded by two rows of green bracts known as "phyllaries".
Naming
"Bellis" may come from "bellus", Latin for "pretty", and "perennis" is Latin for "everlasting".The name "daisy" is considered a corruption of "day's eye", because the whole head closes at night and opens in the morning. Chaucer called it "eye of the day". In Medieval times, "Bellis perennis" or the English Daisy was commonly known as "Mary's Rose". It is also known as "bone flower".
The English Daisy is also considered to be a flower of children and innocence.
Daisy is used as a girl's name and as a nickname for girls named Margaret, after the French name for the oxeye daisy, "marguerite".
Uses
Daisies have traditionally been used for making daisy chains in children's games.References:
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