Route Of Exposure

There are about 200 species of daisy worldwide. The ox-eye daisy originated in Europe and northern Asia, and is now naturalised as a weed in North America, India, Japan, Australia and other parts of the world. It may be grown for its beautiful flowers, but it is also a plague on pastures and crop fields across Europe.

The ox-eye daisy is a short-lived, rhizomatous perennial, growing erect, 0.6m to 1m in height. The leaves are dark and deeply lobed. The lower leaves are spoon-shaped and stalked; the upper are narrower and stalkless, or clasping the stem.

The composite flowers are borne at the ends of stems and consist of a central, depressed, yellow disk, 10 to 20mm wide, surrounded by petal-like, white, ray flowers, 1 to 2cm long. The ox-eye daisy flowers from June to August. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects. The plant is self-fertilising. It also reproduces vegetatively, with spreading rootstalks.

A vigorous daisy can produce 26 000 seeds, while even smaller specimens produce 1 300 to 4 000. Tests have shown that 82% of buried seeds remained viable after six years, and 1% were still viable after 39 years.

The flowers have escaped cultivation and now crowd out other plants on many rangelands. Other common sites are meadows and roadsides.

The ox-eye daisy’s leaves and flowers are edible. Tea is made from the plant, and it is also used as a herbal medication.

The ox-eye daisy and other Chrysanthemum plants contain sesquiterpene lactone, a strong inducer of allergic contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis associated with photosensitivity.

Clinical Relevance

Allergen decription

No allergens from the pollen of this plant have yet been characterised. Although sesquiterpene lactones are allergens present in the plant and responsible for contact dermatitis, these allergens have not been isolated from the pollen.

Potential Cross Reactivity

Extensive cross-reactivity among the different individual species of the genus could be expected, as well as to a great degree among members of the family Asteraceae (Compositae). This extensive cross-sensitisation is seen with pollen and with other constituents of several members of the Asteraceae, e.g. Matricaria, Chrysanthemum, Solidago, feverfew, tansy and chamomile.

A study reported clinical cross-reactivity between Artemisia vulgaris and Matricaria chamomilla, suggesting the possibility that Artemisia vulgaris would be cross-reactive with other Asteraceae (Ambrosia, Chrysanthemum, Matricaria, Solidago), as cross-reactivity within the family is extensive.