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 I inch broad. The flowers are suUur 

 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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