T 



OUR COMMON DANDELIONS 



By Ernst A. Bessey 



HIRTY years ago but one species of dandelion was com- 

 mon in the Northeastern quarter of our country, Lcon- 

 toiluii taraxacum, as it was called by Linnaeus, or Taraxaciiiu 

 officinale, as many books still call it without regard to the un- 

 doubted priority of the Linnaean name. About fifteen years 

 or more ago there began to be found the red-seeded dandelion. 

 At first this was found only in a few spots and was a great 

 rarity, but it has been spreading rapidly, until now it is quite 

 common in many localities. Its name is Lcontodoi cryt/iros- 

 pcnmtin, or Taraxacum crytlirosl^cninnu for those who deny 

 to Linnaeus the right to use the name Leontodon, which 

 means "lion's tooth," or "dent de lion" ( corrupted in Knglisli 

 to dandelion,) for the plants under consideration. 



When the writer came to Michigan over twelve years 

 ago the red-seeded dandelion was to be found in a few spots 

 on the campus of the Michigan Agricultural College and only 

 as a very rare plant elsewhere. In the years that have inter- 

 vened since then it has been increasing in abundance not only 

 at the College but elsewhere. It is now to be found in many 

 localities in the Lower Peninsula and the writer has collected 

 it at widely separated places, in the Upper Peninsula. It has 

 beyond doubt come to stay. 



One of the first things attempted was to see whether the 

 two species can be distinguished before the seeds are mature. 

 In general the red-seeded species is smaller than the other, and 



