Flowers in Israel: Common Daisy

Bellis perennis, Common Daisy, English Daisy,
Hebrew: חיננית רב-שנתית , Arabic: البليس المعمر

Scientific name:   Bellis perennis L.
Common name:   Common Daisy, English Daisy
Hebrew name:   חיננית רב-שנתית
Arabic name:   البليس المعمر
Family:   Compositae / Asteraceae, Sunflower family, מורכבים


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Life form:   Hemicryptophyte
Stems:   Average height 15 cm; underground horizontal stems (rhizomes); stems sparsely to moderately covered with soft hairs
Leaves:   Rosette, spatulate, one central vein without branching, slender stalks; covered with soft hairs; smooth to finely scalloped or toothed margins
Flowers:   1.5-3 cm flower head diameter; yellow center made up by few hundreds of disc florets, and white radiating petals (ray florets); purple tipped petals
Fruits / pods:   One seeded, lance shaped, flattened, yellowish brown, and hairless
Flowering Period:   January, February, March, April, December
Habitat:   Batha, Phrygana
Distribution:   The Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon
Chorotype:   Euro-Siberian
Summer shedding:   Ephemeral


Derivation of the botanical name:

Bellis, Latin, bellus, pretty; the white daisy, ox-eye; Linnaeus: Bellis perennis.

perennis, remaining or lasting throughout the year; perennial.
The Hebrew word: חיננית, chenanit, a daisy, from חן, chen, grace, beauty.

  • The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.