The Dandelion in Colorado 
5 
possessed by all parts of the root, so that even a small piece left 
in the soil may give rise to a new plant in a few weeks’ time. In 
one experiment, tried by the writer, roots were dug from frozen 
soil in midwinter, cut into inch lengths, and planted in moist sand 
kept at living room temperature. In about three weeks’ time every 
one of these pieces had produced a number of small sprouts at the 
upper end. In another case a root nearly 18 inches long was cut 
into inch lengths, which were planted in moist sand. The results 
of this experiment are shown in Fig. 3. 
It is for this reason that the dandelion is so difficult to erad¬ 
icate merely by cutting it off, even to a depth of two or three 
inches underground. When cut off below the crown, the root 
usually sends up a number of shoots so that a cluster of new plants 
will be formed by this process. 
The writer has found, moreover, that the dandelion will event¬ 
ually form clumps or clusters of plants by a natural process of root 
division when left to itself. This process begins during the second 
year following the blooming period, toward the close of the season. 
As the blossom stems come from the center of the crown of the 
plant, this part of the root dies and becomes hollow. A number of 
buds which had formed earlier in the season around the margin 
of this hollow root crown have now given rise to short branches, 
each with its own crown of leaves at the top, but all united below 
to the common root. The crowding of these plants tends to fur¬ 
ther split the old root apart into separate strands until it eventu¬ 
ally appears when dug as a bundle of distinct plants somewhat 
loosely united by the lower part of the old root' These new 
plants may also go through the same process of division so that 
in time an old plant may give rise to a large clump of densely 
crowded plants which have all arisen from one individual seedling. 
During the growing season, and especially toward its close, the 
dandelion root tends to shorten somewhat, a process which pro¬ 
duces a wrinkling of the surface and which draws the crown of 
the plant a little deeper into the soil, where it is better protected 
from adverse conditions. 
The Leaves .—The dandelion foliage consists of a whorl of 
leaves borne upon a very short stem at the crown of the root. 
These leaves vary a good deal in number and size, depending upon 
the vigor of the plant, but are so familiar to most persons as to 
need no description here. During the colder parts of the growing 
season and in dry situations, the leaves usually spread out as flat 
against the surface of the ground as possible and form what is 
called a rosette, but in warmer weather, especially if the plants 
