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Disc Mayweed

Disc Mayweed

Matricaria discoidea

Identify the Disc Mayweed from a photo and log your finds with Florapass.

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How common: Very common

Alien species

Disc Mayweed is a small, strongly scented relative of the daisies. It has greenish-yellow, petal-less flower heads and thrives where people walk or drive, such as yards, paths and roadsides. An annual that has spread widely with human activity.

Did you know?

  • Crushing the plant gives a sweet, pineapple-like scent.
  • Its tiny dry seeds stick to wet shoes, tires and animal fur, helping it travel far.

About the species

Identification

Small annual, 10–35 cm tall, upright and sturdy, usually branching near the top. Stems smooth; many narrow, finely cut leaves whose thread-like pieces end in a tiny sharp point; leaves feel firmer than on scentless mayweed. Flower heads are very small (under 1 cm), on short stalks, dome-shaped with a hollow centre, greenish-yellow, and have no white petals. Strong spicy scent when crushed. Later it makes tiny hard seeds that can stick when wet. If you see white daisy-like petals, it isn’t Disc Mayweed. Flowers in Finland from July to September.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

yards and roadsides, shore

Flowering

Jul–Sep

About the habitat

Disturbed, bare ground in sunny, open places: yards, gardens, paths, roadsides, field edges, beaches and waste ground. It tolerates heavy trampling and benefits from nutrient-rich soil. Common across the country; scarce in the northernmost parts of Lapland.

Sources

Photo: Peter de Lange, CC0 1.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/6130114169

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki leviäimet, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39827

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki versot, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39827

Text: Pinkka: Laaja maatalouslajintuntemus 4 op - Koppisiemeniset, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39827

Text: Pinkka: BIO-103 Eliöiden monimuotoisuus -kasviosuuden harjoituspinkat - Muut putkilokasvit, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39827

Text: Pinkka: Pieni maatalouslajintuntemus - Puuvartiset, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39827

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pihasaunio

See also