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COMMON DANDELION 



Taraxacum officinale Weber 



Early spring Tlicv may be totally unwolconip in lawn or in gardoiu 

 Lawns, fields lnit on a niilil ^I.iich inornintr when tho sunny south 

 bunk is stanvd w itb briubt vcllow ihmdclions, tbi'V are 

 as pleasant a sifrht as any harbinger of spring. They usually are the first 

 b()U(|U('t carried in iliuliby fists to doting mothers. 



The dandelion came over from Kuro|)e with folk who knew it back 

 h;)me in the Old ("ouiitiT. where dandelions were planted as part i>f tiie 

 garden to provide salads and boiled greens, wine, and tonic, over a. long 

 period ol' time. In .Xnieiica the .<eeds Huffed away ti'om the hollow, milky- 

 juiced stalks and .settled everywhei'c so that in a sb.ort tinu' the dandelion 

 bail become naturalized in America. 



It grows from a long. deep, white tai)root which has great ]nilliiig 

 ])ower. whirb inake> it extremely difficult to yank from the ground. 'Y\\o 

 root, leaves, and flower stems are full of an acrid and sticky white milk 

 which exudes wherever the ])lant is broken or bi-uised. The leave.-^ grow 

 in a basal rosette almost flat upon the ground, and are cut in jagged teeth. 



The hollow tlower stalks are downy. pal(\ and rubbery. Each is 

 tojjped with a flat, bright green bud which opens to show a whole colony 

 or family of bright yellow flowerets. The central flowei's in the bead pro- 

 (hu-e i)ollen and pistils. The stamens come forth first and pollen is carried 

 by insects to other dandelions. Then the pistils jjusb up and receive pollen 

 from other flowers, l^ut if no in.^ects come to fertilize the pistils, they 

 riH'cive ]iollen from stamens in thiMr own flower liead. Even if none of 

 this remains, it is jiossible for the dandelion to make seeds without being 

 pollinated at all. 



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