Description: Perennial, rarely annual herbs.
Leaves cauline, alternate, entire to pinnately divided.
Heads terminal, solitary, rarely few in corymbs, pedunculate; involucral bracts 2–4-seriate, herbaceous with ± membranous margins; receptacle flat or convex, naked. Ray florets usually female, ligulate, white or pinkish; rarely bisexual. Disc florets bisexual, tubular, yellow.
Achenes similar to ± dimorphic; obconic to cylindrical, usually ± evenly 10-ribbed, mucilaginous cells on most ribs, secretory cells between; pappus a small corona or auricle or absent.
Distribution and occurrence: World: c. 25 species, northern Africa, Europe & NW Asia. Australia: 2 species (naturalized), N.S.W., Tas., S.A.
Text by E. A. Brown
Taxon concept:
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Stems usually unbranched, with solitary head, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs; leaves evenly singly toothed; heads usually 5–8 cm diam | Leucanthemum x superbum |
| Stems branched, each with 1–3 heads, usually hairy below; leaves coarsely singly to doubly toothed, crenate or shallow 1–2-pinnatifid; heads usually 3–5 cm diam | Leucanthemum vulgare |
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