DANDELION 37 



up easily ? How does its bitter juice protect the plant ? A 

 dandelion plant can grow close to the ground out of the way 

 of harm, but it raises its ripe seeds up on slender stalks, and 

 the wind and passers-by scatter them. 



Dandelions have fleshy roots which furnish a store of food 

 for the plants to use at any time. In early spring the plants 

 quickly grow, and help to make our lawns green before the 

 grass starts, and later they decorate our yards with yellow 

 blossoms. 



How Dandelion Flowers sleep. — Have you ever noticed what 

 a dandelion flower does at night ? Although the yard may be 

 yellow with the flowers all through the day, at nightfall none 

 can be seen, for the heads close up as if they were asleep. The 

 flowers then look like large buds. 



Other Sleeping Flowers. — Did you ever go to pick flowers 

 by lantern light and find them closed, as if their buds had not 

 opened ? About what time of the day do morning glories 

 close ? What other flowers do you know that are closed at 

 night ? 



Look at a clover plant, or a locust tree, at night. What is 

 the difference between the day position and the night position 

 of their leaves ? Some flowers, like the evening primrose, are 

 closed during the day and are usually open only at night. 



2. A RIPE DANDELION HEAD 



Have you ever blown a ripe dandelion head to 

 pieces to see if your mother wanted you ? If you 

 have, the dandelion probably told you more about 

 itself than it did about your mother. 



Observation. — On how tall a stalk is the ripe 

 dandelion head ? What is the shape of the head ? 

 What is its size ? Of what is the head composed ? 



