Le 



ONTO DON TARAXACUM. 



ANDELION. 



LEONTODON LinnteiGen. PL Syngenesia. Polygamia ^Equalis. 



Rail Synopfis ed. 3. Gen. 6. Herbje flore composito, naturae pleno lactescentes; 

 LEONTODON 'Taraxacum calycis fquamis inferne reflexis, foliis nmcinatis denticulatis laevibus. Limuei 



Syft. Vegetab. p. 596. Sp. Plant 1122. Fl. Suede. 270. 

 TARAXACUM calycibus glabris, fquamis imis reflexis. Haller hifi. v. 1. p. 56. 



HEDYPNOIS Taraxacum Scopoli Flor. Cam. n. 957. 

 HEDYPNOIS major Fufchil. 



DENS LEONIS latiore folio Bauhin. Pin. p. 126. Gerard, emac. 290, ParkinfonyBo. Rati Syn.ed. 3. p. 170. 

 HudfonFl. Angl.p. 297. Oeder. Fl. Dan. Icon. 574. 



RADIX perennis, fubfufiformis, lactescens, externe 



pallide fufca. 

 FOLIA laciniato-pinnatifida, plus aut minus profunde 



incifa, laciniis acutis et acute dentatis, plerum- 



que laevia, normunquam vero fubafpera. 

 SCAPI nudi, nftulofi, lacteScentes, verfus apicem fub- 



tomentofi, uniflori. 



CALYX communis laevis 

 reflexis, fig. 1. 



glaucus, fquamis inferioribus | 



COROLLA compofita, flava, corollulis hermaphroditis, 

 numeroiis, asqualibus. Propria monopetala, li- 

 gulata, truncata quinquedentata, fig. 2. 



STAMINA : Filament a quinque capillaria, brevimma, 

 fig. 3. Anther je flavae, in tubum cylindraceum 

 coalitae, fig. 4. 



PISTILLUM : Germen oblongum, fig. 5, Stylus lon- 

 gitudine corolla, fig. 6. Stigmata duo re- 

 volute, fig. J. 



SEMEN fubincurvatnm, fubcompreiium, fubtetrago- 

 num, Striatum, apice cchinatum, pallide oliva- 

 ceum, fig. 8, 9. Pappus Stipitatus, Simplex, 

 ftipite brevior, fig. 1 o 



RECEPTACULUM nudum, alveolatum. fig. 11. 



ROOT perennial, tapering, milky, externally of a pale 

 brown colour. 



LEAVES more or lefs deeply jagged, each jag or laci- 

 nia pointed, and Sharply indented, generally 

 fmooth, but fometimes a little rough. 



STALKS naked, hollow, milky, towards the top co- 

 vered with a kind of down, fupporting one 

 flower on each. 



CALYX : the common or general Calyx fmooth, glau- 

 cous, the lower mo/l leaves or fquamce turning 

 back, fig. 1. 



COROLLA : the flower compounded of a great num- 

 ber of Corollul^e or letter flowers, which 

 are yellow, hermaphrodite and equal ; each 

 Corollula monopetalouS, tubular at bottom, and 

 flat towards the extremity, the apex truncated 

 and quinquedentate. fig. 2. 



STAMINA: five Filaments fmall and very Short, 

 fig. 3. the Antherje yellow, uniting an j 

 forming a cylindrical tube. fig. 4. 



PISTILLUM: Germen oblong, jig. 5. Style the 

 length of the Corolla, fig. 6. Stigmata 

 two, rolling back, fig. 7. 



SEED a little crooked, flattifh, and Somewhat four 

 fquare, flriated or grooved, at top prickly, of a 

 pale olive colour, fig, g, 9. the Down or pap- 

 pus {landing on a footflalk, limple, not fea- 

 thery, Shorter than the footflalk, fig. 10. 



RECEPTACLE naked, and full of little holes, fig. 1 1 . 



As a medicinal plant the Dandelion is thought to poflefs considerable virtues, and has been frequently made ufe of 

 in obftrucfions of the Vifcera, particularly the Jaundice. Some recommend the juice, others a decociion of the whole 

 plant. It appears to operate chiefly by urine, and from poiiefiing this property in a considerable degree it has acquired 

 its vulgar name of Pifs-a-bed. Its other, and more common name, feems to be a corruption of the French term Dent 

 de Dion. 



As a kind of fallad, this plant is by many prefered to any other, particularly by the inhabitants of Spitalfields, 

 many of whom being defcended from French families, that forfook their native country for one more favourable to 

 religious liberty, Still retain the peculiar cuftoms of that people in their diet, &c. They blanch, or whiten it as the 

 gardeners do endive, and the inferior clafs generally ufe the Simple procefs of laying a tile on it, for whatever excludes 

 the light from this or any other plant will make it become white, all plants deriving their colours from the fountain 

 of light, the fun. And it is remarkable, that many plants containing bitter and acrid juices are rendered by this procefs 

 mild, fweet, and agreeable : who, for inflance, could eat endive, celery, or even lettuce, in their wild uncultivated 

 States ? 



The Dandelion grows in the greateft plenty in rich meadows, although it is very common on walls, and in courts 

 and areas ; when growing in a barren foil or dry Situation the leaves become more narrow and jagged. 



It flowers in May, and is the SirSt. plant which covers our meadows with a beautiful yellow coat, a few weeks after- 4 

 wards, when it produceth its feed, it changes this for a white one. 



Children frequently amufe themfelves with blowing off the feeds, which Stand naked on the receptacle or top of the 

 Stalk, and the round white heads, formed by the expanfion of their pappus or down, they c^W clocks, 



The young botanift generally finds fome difficulty in acquiring a clear idea of the Structure of thefe compound 

 flowers, occaiianed by the minutenefs of the parts of fructification, which however are much larger and more con- 

 spicuous in this than in many others of the clafs Syngenesia, and therefore a proper flower for him to begin with; 



On examining the flower of the Dandelion he will find that it is not a double flower, properly fo called, as he might 

 be led to think from its fullnefs, but that it is compofed of a great number of Flofculi, or lelier flowers placed clofe 

 together on one common receptacle or bottom, and enclofed by one common or general calyx. On diflecting each of 

 thefe Flofculi, he will find them to confiSt of a Corolla, or Petal jig-. 2, which at bottom is tubular, but towards 

 the extremity Slat, that from the bottom or tubular part of the corolla, five filaments Spring, which are fmall 

 and fhort, yet loofe and unconnected^. 3, that thefe filaments are furniihed with Anthers, which unite together 

 and form a long flender tube fig. 4, beneath the corolla is placed the Germen, or future feedj^ 5, from whence 

 the Style, or middle part of the Piftillum proceeds and panes up through the middle of the flower, betwixt the 

 Filaments and through the tube formed by the union of the Antherae, fig, 6, and is furniihed at top with two Stig- 

 mata which roll back, fig. 7, at a little distance from the Germen the lower part of the Stylus is Surrounded by 

 numerous upright hairs which are the future Pappus or Down, fig. 10. 



This, then, he will find to be the appearance of the parts of fruclification in a full blown Slower. 



Thofe parts of the flower which were more immediately or more remotely neceflary to the impregnation of the Seed 

 having now performed their office decay, the Corolla with the Stamina and upper part of the PifSillum drops off, the 

 Seed becomes larger, the lower part of the Piftillum remains, is elongated and becomes the footStalk of the Pappus, 

 and the Seed as yet immature with the Pappus as yet moift. are all enclofed and prefled by the Calyx into a conical 

 form. This is its appearance in its fecond Slate. 



The fructification Still going forward the feed becomes ripe and brown, the Pappus now deprived of its rnpifture 

 expands itfelf every way, fig. 1 o, pufhes back the Calyx, and aflumes a Spherical form. The feeds fitted for vegetation 

 and thus expofed are carried away by the SirSt ftrongwind, and " a new race planted far from their native foil»*' 



Such then is the curious procefs which nature makes ufe of in the perfecting and dinemination of this plant. 





