334 
The Ohio Naturalist. 
[Vol. Ill, No. 2 ,. 
A RECORD OF OBSERVATIONS ON THE 
DANDELION. 
J. D. SlMKINS. 
The following observations were made by my son, Don C. 
Simkins, upon two dandelion heads. One was studied from May 
io to June 4, 1901 ; the other from May 12 to June 4, 1902. 
Observations were recorded three times a day — morning, noon 
and night. In the notes below “No. One” refers to the first 
head and its scape; “No. Two” to the second head and its 
scape. No. Two was the more typical specimen. 
The dandelion grows in a funnel-shaped opening which it 
makes at the surface of the ground. No. One remained in this 
funnel for two days after being discovered, without lengthening 
its scape ; No. Two did the same. It was five days after No. 
One was discovered before it bloomed ; after No. Two, eight. 
Beginning at seven o’clock in the morning, it took one hour for 
the head of No. One to open the first morning it bloomed, and in 
about five hours it began to close. It took one hour to fully 
close. Only the outer half of the flowers bloomed the first day. 
In opening and closing, this head made the same record the second 
day, except that the inner half of the flowers were also in bloom. 
On the third da}' the head opened a short time. No. Two made 
the same record. On some days the dandelion remains in bloom 
until later in the afternoon. 
After flowering No. One required fifteen days to ripen its seed ; 
No. Two, nine. The cold rainy weather delayed No. One. 
When the fruit on No. One was ripe it took forty minutes for the 
head of pappus to open. The plant made a mistake, for it 
rained and washed a part of the seed off, while a part hung on 
for three days ; but possibly it could not wait any longer, for it 
had been delayed by four days of rainy weather, except the day 
before the head opened. No. Two opened in the same time, the 
wind rose and the parachutes were carried away — all on the same 
day. In fine weather you will see many pappus heads in the 
forenoon and but very few in the evening. All the seeds in Nos. 
One and Two seemed to mature. This plant is so very numerous 
that many insects are induced to aid in pollination. 
During some days, as well as some nights, the scape does not 
grow. I11 No. One it grew during ten nights; in No. Two, 
during thirteen. I11 No. One it grew during seven day-times ; in 
No. Two, during nine. At certain times the scape makes a rapid 
growth. No. One, on each of two non-successive nights, grew 
one and one-half inches, and during another night two inches. 
No. Two lengthened one inch on each of two non-successive 
nights, two inches on one night, and four and one-third inches. 
