BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA. 81 
Taraxacum, Dandelion.—The root of the 
taraxacum dens-leonis, Natural order Com- 
posite. This early visitor of spring is native of 
Europe, but now found in most of the sub-trop- 
ical countries of the world. The dandelion is 
a perennial plant, with spreading, radicle leaves 
deeply cut, the winglets of the leaves having 
some resemblance to a lion’s tooth, hence the 
suggestion of the name. The leaves are usu- 
ally 8 inches (or about 20 centimeters) long. 
The stem bearing the flower is usually 6 inches 
(more or less) in height, erect and hollow, bear- 
ing at its apex a large golden-colored flower, 
which closes at night and opens with the return- 
ingday. The flowerets are numerous, lingulate 
and somewhat tooth-shaped at their extremities; 
calyx is smooth and double, with the outer sepals 
turned downward toward the earth. The stem 
bearing the flower in this case is not called a 
peduncle, but a scape, because it comes directly 
from the root. The receptacle is naked, ache- 
nium, oblong, and striated, seed numerous, 
papus hairy, and to this light arachnoidean is 
attached the seed which can be seen floating in 
every direction after the flower has matured. 
The taraxacum root is fusiform or tap-shaped, 
of a dark brown externally and of a dirty white 
on the inside; it is easily broken, and exudes 
when fresh a milky juice, which becomes thick 
and of a pale brown color on exposure: The 
root should be gathered in the month of Septem- 
ber for medicinal purposes ; it then contains 
about twenty-four per cent zwulin, also tarax- 
acin, resin anda  tiaewen body. _ 
Taraxacin is soluble in (active principle) water 
