334 The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. Ill, No. 2^ 



A RECORD OF OBSERVATIONS ON THE 

 DANDELION. 



J. D. SiMKINS. 



The following observations were made by my son, Don C. 

 Simkins, upon two dandelion heads. One was studied from ]\Iay 

 lo to June 4, 1901 ; the other from May 12 to June 4, 1902. 

 Observations were recorded three times a day — morning, noon 

 and night. In the notes below "No. One" refers to the first 

 head and its scape; " No. Two" to the second head and its 

 scape. No. Two was the more typical specimen. 



The dandelion grows in a funnel-shaped opening which it 

 makes at the surface of the ground. No. One remained in this 

 funnel for two days after being discovered, without lengthening 

 its scape ; No. Two did the same. It was five days after No. 

 One was discovered before it bloomed ; after No. Two, eight. 



Beginning at seven o'clock in the morning, it took one hour for 

 the head of No. One to open the first morning it bloomed, and in 

 about five hours it began to close. It took one hour to fully 

 close. Only the outer half of the flowers bloomed the first day. 

 In opening and closing, this head made the same record the second 

 day, except that the inner half of the flowers were also in bloom. 

 On the third day the head opened a short time. No. Two made 

 the same record. On some days the dandelion remains in bloom 

 until later in the afternoon. 



After flowering No. One required fifteen days to ripen its seed ; 

 No. Two, nine. The cold rainy weather delayed No. One. 

 When the fruit on No. One was ripe it took forty minutes for the 

 head of pappus to open. The plant made a mistake, for it 

 rained and washed a part of the seed off, while a part hung on 

 for three days ; but possibly it could not wait any longer, for it 

 had been delayed by four days of rainy weather, except the day 

 before the head opened. No. Two opened in the same time, the 

 wind rose and the parachutes were carried away — all ou the same 

 day. In fine weather you will see many pappus heads in the 

 forenoon and Imt very few in the evening. All the seeds in Nos. 

 One and Two seemed to mature. This plant is so very numerous 

 that many insects are induced to aid in pollination. 



During some days, as well as some nights, the scape does not 

 grow. In No. One it grew during ten nights ; in No. Two, 

 during thirteen. In No. One it grew during seven day-times ; in 

 No. Two, during nine. At certain times the scape makes a rapid 

 growth. No. One, on each of two non-successive nights, grew 

 one and one-half inches, and during another night two inches. 

 No. Two lengthened one inch on each of two non -successive 

 nights, two inches on one night, and four and one- third inches 



