COMPOSITAE COMPOSITE FAMILY 
COMMON DANDELION 
Taraxacum officinale Weber 
Everyone knows the Dandelion, which persists in growing in 
so many places where it is not wanted. It ranges all over the world 
except in arctic regions. Nearly everyone has at some time broken 
off the hollow flower stalk and used 
it as a whistle, and many people are 
very fond of the young leaves as 
greens. Few, however, stop to admire 
the flowers of this plant. It is too 
common; but if it were not so we 
would have it in our gardens and 
prize it highly for its beautiful yellow 
heads. The blooming season may be 
the year around, but usually is April 
to September. 
The Dandelion is perennial and 
sends its root down into the soil 
sometimes 4-5 feet. The stem is very 
short at the surface and bears the 
rosette of leaves. Every year this 
stem grows upward a little but at the 
same time the root contracts and 
pulls the stem down a little into the 
soil so that although the plant may 
live for many years it never becomes 
any taller. 
The Dandelion is admirably fitted for wind dissemination of 
its fruits. After the 150-200 flowers on each head have bloomed, 
the inner part of the involucre closes and remains closed while 
the fruits ripen. As the akenes mature, their beaks elongate and 
so raise the pappus some distance. At the same time the peduncle 
grows upward until the head is well above surrounding vegeta- 
tion. Then the involucre opens again and turns down out of 
the way so that the parachutelike fruits are fully exposed to 
the wind. 
The Red-seeded Dandelion, Taraxacum erythrospermum Andrz., 
has more deeply lobed leaves and smaller heads. The 70-90-flowered 
heads are rarely more than 1 inch broad. The flowers are sulfur 
yellow instead of bright yellow, the outer rays purplish outside, and 
the akenes are bright or brownish red with a dirty white pappus. 
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