The History and Evolution of Daisies By: Andrea

Noel

History

The Daisy is over 4,000 years old (Flower Expert).Beginning in as early as 2,200 BC Daisies were grown in Egyptian temple gardens (Garden Guides).The Egyptians also used the Daisies to treat illnesses (Garden Guides). In England the Daisy was most used to cure eye problems and then later on for stomach ulcers and many other sicknesses (Garden Guides). King Henry the VII was the most well associated King with Daisies.Many also associated the daisy with love an romance (Flower Expert).

Evolution

The daisy has survived more epidemics than some humans have. The daisy has out lived the our great ancestors.The daisy has evolved in many ways including in the species diversity. The size, number and shape of each daisy flower is different. Including adapting to different environments. Some daisies are also now related to the black eyed Susan from interbreeding strains and human breeding, of the beautiful flower (Garden Guides).But there are laws on Evolution (Gibb).

Environment

The daisy usually lives in a controlled temperature at all times (Cox). This is the ideal condition for the daisy to survive. Different species of daisies can live in diverse conditions. The daisy is also known as a wild flower and can be seen along highways and forests. As seen in the pictures the daisies are growing well with a buttercup (top) and some hydrangea (bottom). Most daisies thrive in the summer months (Gibb).

Ecology

The daisy lives off of its environment to get the nutrients and water needed to survive. In most places there is an abundance of daisies. The white daisy will reflect the sunlight meaning a cooler environment compared to the black daisy that will absorb the sunlight(Rice). To the daisy are many predators are herbivores, including but not limited to rabbits and groundhogs (Harding). Mostly wild daisies are at random distribution from birds and wind. Other daisies are bought and planted.

Growth

Daisies are mostly perennial plants. The daisies stem can reach up to one foot in length (Garden Guides). They grow towards the sun and also close at night when the sun goes down. The daisies open when the sun then again comes up. The anatomy of such a plant has a great deal of surprising information for the stems and leafs of the daisy (Smith).

Species Diversity

There are two main dominant species of daisies (Harding). The gerbera daisy can vary in colors such as red, pink, yellow, orange, and purple with black centers.The Shasta daisy was created in 1901 by Luther Burbank. There are over 100 kinds of the Shasta daisy. The Gloriosa daisy was created in the 1950’s and has a close relation to the black eyed Susan.There are many more kinds of daisies (Garden Guides). With a fine degrees of control (Brennan).As well in a flower farm this year they have just created a new kind of Shasta daisy called Broadway Lights (Perennial Plants).

Pollution

There are many different types of pollution that affects the daisy and their environment that they live in. There is acid rain from all the water pollution. Also there are car exhaust fumes that can also lead to this. Litter and trash can hurt the daisies as well. Yes the daisy has survived over 4,000 years but would you like to be responsible for its extinction from human pollution?

Work CitedAlves, Dominic. Daisies and Buttercup. 2 June 2007. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/dominicspics/1127784711/>.

Anemoneprojectors. Daisy(Bellis perennis). 6 April 2011. Flickr, Yahoo!, Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/anemoneprojectors/5602738326/>.

AnnCam. Daisies and Hydrangea. 8 June 2010. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/90994070@N00/4684063150/>.

Arrighi, Michael. Daisy Flower Study. 29 April 2007. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/arrighi/3090616898/>.

Bhagwat, Radhika. Daisies at 17 Mile Drive. 30 Dec. 2006. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/radhika_bhagwat/357315996/>.

Brennan, Andrew. Thinking about Nature. Athens: University of Georgia, 1988. Web. 3 Oct. 2011.

<http://books.google.com/books?id=d_eakaT_l0gC&pg=PA130&dq=daisy+species+diversity&hl

=en&ei=sNWNTtXkK9GO0QG95OVV&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&sqi=2&ved=0

CE0Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=daisy%20species%20diversity&f=false>.

Boardman, Teresa. Daisy. 17 June 2008. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/tboard/2766209747/>.

Countryboy1949. Daisie soaking up sunlight. 29 April 2007. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/countryboy1949/477652363/>.

Cox, Jeff. "Daisies." Organic Gardening (08973792) 45.5 (1998): 44. GreenFILE. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://ezproxy.hacc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=8

gh&AN=497578&site=ehost-live>.

Diamond, Jessica. Daisy. 4 June 2008. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/sleepishly/2551794507/>.

"Flowers and History." The Flower Expert. Gifting Inc., 2011. Web. 3 Oct. 2011.

<http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/miscellaneous/flowers-and-history>.

Gibb, Eleanor Hughes. The Making of a Daisy; "Wheat out of Lies;" and Other Studies on Plant-life.

London: Charles Griffin and Co., 1898. Web. 3 Oct. 2011.

<http://books.google.com/books?id=VlwQAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA28&dq=the+history+and+evolutio

n+of+daisies&hl=en&ei=_9WNTtr5GKbZ0QGsvfAU&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1

&ved=0CC0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=the%20history%20and%20evolution%20of%20daisies&f=f

alse>.

Harding, Stephan. Animate Earth: Science, Intuition and Gaia. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green

Pub., 2006. Web. 3 Oct. 2011.

<http://books.google.com/books?id=dEnxfXVwZtUC&pg=PA83&dq=daisy+species+diversity&hl=

en&ei=sNWNTtXkK9GO0QG95OVV&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0C

DUQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=daisy%20species%20diversity&f=false>.

Henry, Danielle. Happy Daisy. 13 July 2010. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/waterandglass/4792192815/>.

Hoesly, Heather. Daisies!. 27 Feb. 2010. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/heatherhoesly/4391840477/>.

Jay, Robyn. Daisies. 25 May 2009. Flickr, Yahooh!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/learnscope/3562223445/>.

Work Cited cont.Katemopoulos, Maureen. "The History of Daisy Flowers." Garden Guides, Your Guide to Everything

Gardening. 2010. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. <http://www.gardenguides.com/80045-history-daisy-

flowers.html>.

Kimple, Kathy. Daisy. 10 April 2008. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/kkimpel/2877860110/>.

Le Berre, M. , Patrascu, A.S, Ressayre, E., Tallet, A., Daisy patterns in the

passive ring cavity with diffusion effects, Optics Communications, Volume 123, Issues 4-6, 1

February 1996, Pages 810-824, ISSN 0030-4018, 10.1016/0030-4018(1995)00472-6. Science

Direct. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0030401895004726>.

Loftus, Craig. Daisy daisy. 12 June 2007. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/craigloftus/543780671/>.

McBomb. Daisy. 29 April 2005. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcbomb/11542522/>.

Morgan, John W. "Reproductive Success In Reestablished Versus Natural Populations Of A Threatened

Grassland Daisy (Rutidosis Leptorrhynchoides)." Conservation Biology 14.3 (2000): 780-785.

GreenFILE. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://ezproxy.hacc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=8

gh&AN=5472422&site=ehost-live>.

Newcomb, Graeme. Daisies in Maseru. 12 Sept. 2006. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/graemenewcomb/241387896/>.

Noffsinger, Wayne. Daisy-maroon. 30 June 2010. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/knottyboywayne/4749822578/>.

"Perennial Plants." Cut and Dried Flower Farm. Echohill Web sites, 2011. Web. 3 Oct. 2011.

<http://www.cutdriedflowerfarm.com/perennials.php>.

Rice, Stanley A. Encyclopedia of Evolution. Web. 3 Oct. 2011

SnowBunny_01. Daisy. 16 June 2009. Flickr, Yahoo!. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/tmstone/4134210447/>.

Young, A. G., A. H. D. Brown, and F. A. Zich. "Genetic Structure Of Fragmented Populations Of The

Endangered Daisy Rutidosis Leptorrhynchoides." Conservation Biology 13.2 (1999): 256-265.

GreenFILE. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://ezproxy.hacc.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=8

gh&AN=5303729&site=ehost-live>. Noel 1

“African Daisies Opening and Closing.” Renzlohnad. 17 May 2011. Youtube. Web. 1 Nov. 2011 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqI7mJinlw4>.

“Daisies Time Lapse.” Ntalakas. 1 May 2011. Youtube. Web. 1 Nov. 2011.

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owre7As6TFY>.