LEONTODON TARAXACUM -COMMON DANDELION. 
Class XIX. SYNGENESIA. Order I. POLYG. *QUALIS. 
Natural Order, COMPOSITE. 
The seeds («) are solitary, oblong, each enclosed in a scabrous achenium ; and supporting a simple radiated pappus, on a long pedicel. — 
Fig. (6) is a floret somewhat magnified, showing the germen and five united anthers surrounding the forked style. 
This is a well known perennial inhabitant of our meadows, pastures, and gardens, generally despised as a 
troublesome weed; it flowers from April till late in autumn. 
The root is spindle-shaped, white and fleshy within, and covered externally with a brown epidermis. 
The ascending axis being abortive all the leaves spring from the crown of the root; they are numerous, 
spreading, smooth, of a bright green, tapering towards the root and runcinate, or deeply cut into sharp 
lobes, unequal, and pointing downwards. The flower stalk, or, as it is termed in botanical language, scape, 
is erect, round, smooth, very brittle, tubular, and terminated by a single capitulum of flowers, or rather 
florets of a golden yellow colour, which expand in fine weather only, and close in the evening. The common 
calyx, or, as it is now more correctly named, the involucrum, is imbricated and oblong, and the bractese of 
which it is formed are surrounded by a whorl of a shorter patent (and in the officinal species reflexed) 
bracteolae. The head of flowers is composed of very numerous monopetalous, equal, ligulate, truncated, 
five-toothed florets. The five filaments are capillary and slender, with conjoined antheree. The germen is 
obovate, crowned with a slender cylindrical style, and furnished with two revolute stigmas. The receptacle, 
to which the seeds are attached, is convex and dotted. 
Distinctive Character. — Leontodon palustre, Marsh Dandelion, which is regarded by some as a 
distinct species, and by others merely as a variety, may be distinguished from L. Taraxacum, by its having 
the outer scales of the involucre shorter, and not reflexed; by the leaves being less runcinate, and the flower 
and whole plant smaller and more slender. In its sensible qualities it agrees with the preceding species; 
the distinction, therefore, in a medical point of view, is not very important. 
The summer of 1832 was peculiarly favourable to the extra-development of plants, and many 
irregular growths have been observed. One of not the least curious is the evolution of bracteee, upon the 
usually naked scape of the Leontodon Taraxacum. In some of the specimens examined and preserved, the 
bracteae are evidently parts of the involucre not collected into the normal whorl; but in others, they have 
all the characters, and are nearly as large as the ordinary leaves ; thus rendering the plant as it were caul- 
escent. Should this form be permanent, it might almost be regarded as a distinct species. 
The term Leontodon, is derived from Xeav, a lion, and tooth and is so called from the indentments 
of the leaves, which have been fancifully compared to the jaw or teeth of a lion. Linnaeus bestowed this 
name upon the genus, in preference to the compound one of Dens-Leonis, which had been given by 
Tournefort; and Taraxacum is said to be an Arabian corruption of rpo^ov, edule, one of the names of Ceres. 
From the receptacle looking bald, after the flowers and seeds are gone, it is sometimes called Monkshead ; 
while by the French, it is termed pissenlit, from its diuretic properties, and it has obtained in this 
country a vulgar designation expressive of the same powers. The English name Dandelion appears to be a 
corruption of Dent de lion. 
Linnaeus has given the dandelion a deserved place in the horologe of Flora. It is one of the plants 
that may be most certainly depended upon as to the hour of opening and closing its flowers. The flower, 
if we well examine it, we shall discover to be fully as handsome as the fine garden anemone; and it only 
needs to be as rare, to be prized as much. This plant blossoms early in the spring, and continues through 
the summer. 
Thine full many a pleasing bloom 
Of blossoms lost to all perfume ; 
Thine the dandelion flowers, 
Gilt with dew like sun with showers. — Clare. 
The winged seeds are used for Love’s oracle. If you are separated from the object of your affection, 
gently detach one of these transparent spheres, each little feather that composes it is charged with a tender 
thought. Turn towards the spot inhabited by your beloved: blow softly, and every little winged traveller, 
like a faithful messenger, shall bear your secret homage to her feet. If desirous of knowing whether the 
