DANl)i:i.ION 65 



There are hristlv points near the lop of tlie interior ovary whieh 

 affix it to the soil. 



The Dandelion is about S in. hiL^h. The plant llowers lioni March 

 or April till October. It is [lerennial ami ])ro[)aj4atecl by cli\ ision. 



The tlowcrheads are eonspicuou.s. Ihcy close u[) at nii^ht ami 

 when it is raining. They open at 5-6 a.m. and close between 8 and 

 10 p.m. at I'psala, but at Innsbruck they o[)en between 6 and 7 a.m. 

 and close between 2 ami j; p.m., showing that a sliL;lu dil'lrrence in 

 latitude greatly affects the opening ot llowers. 



In each capitulum there are 100-300 florets. It measures 30-50 

 mm. across, though the receptacle is 5 7 mm. across. The tube is 

 7,-- mm. long. The honey rises high up the tube. The style nearly 

 tills the lube. The anther c\linder, 2 1 5 mm. long, projects from 

 it. ami the style is 3 5 mm. alnne this alter lengthening. I'pon 

 this projecting portion are pointed hairs which sweep the pollen out 

 of the tube and accumulate it. The style branches are 1^-2 mm. 

 long, and covered with stigmatic papilke on the inner face. They 

 bend over and backwards, making one and a half spiral turns, and 

 in the absence of insect visitors, that may remove the pollen, sell- 

 pollination occurs. 



The last phase is of advantage to the plant, which flowers peren- 

 nially when insects are not thing, as in early spring and late autumn, 

 or even winter. The pollen is variable in the same floret. 



The flower is visited by the Honey Bee, Boinbits sih'antiii, />'. 

 con/iisus, B. barbutcllits, and other Hymenoptera, besides Diptera, 

 Lepidoptera, and Coleoptera. 



The fruits are provided wiih a tutt of hairs, torming the " clock " 

 or pappus, which assist in wind dispersal. 



The Dandelion grows on different soils, according to the forms 

 (of which there are several) into which one may split it uj). It is 

 common on sand soil, other forms grow on clay .soil, while one form 

 {pa/iisit'c) is a peat plant and requires rather peaty condilion.s. 



The fungi Puccinia variabilis, P. taraxaci, P. sylvatica, and Pro- 

 toniyces pachydcrviis attack the leaves. Several insects adopt the 

 Dandelion as a food plant, such as a beetle, I\Ieligelhes syiiipliyli; 

 several Hymenoptera, Andirna albicans, A. Jilipes, A. tibialis, yl. 

 thoracica, A. nitida, A. nigrocenea, A. givynana, and Lepidoptera — 

 Buff Ermine [Aretia liibricipeda). The Shears {Hadena dentiita). 

 Cream Wave [Acidalia remittatd), (iold Swift {Hcpialns hectics). 

 Clouded Buff [Enllioiiofiia ritssiila). Northern Rustic [Agrofis liiccr- 

 nea). Great Brocade {Aplecla occulta). 



