Leontodon taraxacum. Dandelion. 
LEONTODON Umxi Gen. PL Syngenesia. Polygamia iEoyALis. 
Ran Syncpfi ed. 3. Gen. 6 . Herbie feore composito, naturas pleno eaciescentes. 
LEONTODON Taraxacum calycis fquamis inferne reflexis, foliis runcinatis denticulatis lasvibus. Lrnruri 
Syfl. Vegetab. p. 596. Sp. Plant 1122. FI. Suecic. 270. 
TARAXACUM calycibus gkbris, fquamis imis reflexis. Haller hifl. v. 1. p. 56. 
HEDYPNOIS taraxacum Scopoli Flor. Carn. n. 957. 
HEDYPNOIS major Fufchii. 
DENS LEONIS latiore folio Bauhin. Pin.p. 126. Gerari.emac. 290, Parhittfon 780. Ran Syn. ed 3. p. 176, 
Httdfin FI. Angi. p. 297. Oeder. FI. 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, nonnunquam vero fubafpera. 
SCAPI nudi, fiftulofi, laCtefcentes, verfus apicem fub- 
tomentofi, uniflori. 
CALYX communis laevis, glaucus, fquamis inferioribus 
reflexis , fg. i. 
COROLLA compofta, flava, corollulis hermaphroditis, 
numerofis, aequalibus. Propria monopetala, li- 
gulata, truncata quinquedentata, fg. 2. 
STAMINA : Filamenta quinque capillaria, breviflima, 
fg. 3. Anthers flava, in tubum cylindraceum 
coalita, fg. 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen oblongum, 5, Stylus lon- 
gitudine corolla, fg. 6. Stigmata duo re- 
voluta, fg. 7. 
SEMEN fubincurvatum, fiibcomprefliim, fubtetrago- 
num, ftriatum, apice echinatum , pallide oliva- 
ceum, fg. 8, 9. Pappus ftipitatus, iimplex, 
ftipite brevior, fg. 1 o 
RECEPTACULUM nudum, alveolatum, fg. 11. 
: R °OT perennial, tapering, milky, externally of a pale 
brown colour. 
LEAVES . more or lefs deeply jagged, each jag or laci- 
nia pointed, and fharply 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 lowermof leaves or fquamce turning 
back, fig. 1. 
COROLLA : the flower compounded of a great num- 
ber of CoROLLULiE or lefler flowers, which 
are yellow, hermaphrodite and equal ; each 
Corollula monopetalous, tubular at bottom, and 
flat towards the extremity, the apex truncated 
and quinquedentate. fg. 2. 
STAMINA: five Filaments l'mall and very ftiort. 
fg. 3. the Antherte yellow, uniting and 
forming a cylindrical -tube. fig. 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen oblong, fg. 5. Style the 
length of the Corolla, fg. 6. Stigmata 
two, rolling back, fg. 7. 
SEED a little crooked, flattilh, and fomewhat four 
fquare, ftriated or grooved, at top prickly, of a 
pale olive colour, fig. g, 9. the Down or pap- 
pus Handing on a footftalk, Ample, not fea- 
thery, Ihorter than the footftalk, fig. i 0 . 
RECEPTACLE naked, and full of little holes, fg. 1 1 . 
As a medicinal plant the Dandelion is thought to poflefs confiderable virtues, and has been frequently made ufe of 
inobftruCtions of the Vifcera, particularly the Jaundice. Some recommend the juice, others a decoCtion of the whole 
plant. It appears to operate chiefly by urine, and from pofleffing this property in a confiderable degree it has acquired 
its vulgar name of Pfs-a-bed. Its other, and more common name, feems to be a corruption of the French term Dent 
de Lion. 
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. Hill retain the peculiar cuHoms of that people in their diet, &c. They blanch, or whiten it as the 
gardeners do endive, and the inferior clafs generally ufe the Ample 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 iufiance, could eat endive, celery, or even lettuce, in their wild uncultivated 
Hates ? 
The Dandelion grows in the greatefl plenty in rich meadows, although it is very common on walls, and in courts 
and areas ; when growing in a barren foil or dry fituation the leaves become more narrow and jagged. 
It flowers in May, and is the firfl plant which covers our meadows with a beautiful yellow coat, a few weeks after- 
wards, when it produceth its feed, it changes this for a white one. 
Children frequently amufe themfelves with blowing off the feeds, which Hand naked on the receptacle or top of the 
Halk, and the round white heads,' formed by the expanfion of their pappus or down, they call clocks. 
The young botanifl generally finds fome difficulty in acquiring a clear idea of the ftruCture of thefe compound 
flowers, occafioned by the minutenefs of the parts of fruCtifi cation, which however are much larger and more con- 
fpicuous 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 lefler flowers placed clofe 
together on one common receptacle or bottom, and enclofed by one common or general calyx. On difle&ing each of 
thefe Flofculi, he will find them toconfiff of a Corolla, or Petal 2, which at bottom is tubular, but towards 
the extremity flat, that from the bottom or tubular part of the corolla, five filaments fpring, which are fmall 
and ffiort, yet loofe and unconnected fg. 3, that thefe filaments are furnilhed with Anthers, which unite together 
and form a long flender tube fg. 4, beneath the corolla is placed the Germen, or future feed fig. 5, from whence 
the Style, or middle part of the Piflillum proceeds and pafl'es up through the middle of the flower, betwixt the 
Filaments and through the tube formed by the union of the Anthers, fg. 6, and is furnilhed at top with two Stig- 
mata which roll back, fg. 7, at a little diflance from the Germen the lower part of the Stylus is furrounded by 
numerous upright hairs which are the future Pappus or Down,j^. 10. 
This, then, he will find to be the appearance of the parts of fructification in a full blown flower. 
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 Piflillum drops off, the 
Seed becomes larger, the lower part of the Piflillum remains, is elongated and becomes the footftalk 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 ftate. 
The fructification Hill going forward the feed becomes ripe and brown, the Pappus now deprived of its moifture 
expands itfelf every way, fg. 1 o, pufhes back the Calyx, and aflumes a fpherical form. The feeds fitted for vegetation 
and thus expofed are carried away by the firfl ftrongwind, and “ a new race planted far from their native foil.” 
Such then is the curious procels which nature makes ufe of in the perfecting and diflemination of this plant. 
