DANDELION

Dandelion is a species of flowering plants that grow in many parts of the world. They are also known as Taraxacum officinale. They may in general appear to be a very stubborn weed but in reality they are of tremendous health benefits to humans. For ages, they have been traditionally used to treat a number of human physical ailments and disorders.

The species of Taraxacum are tap-rooted, perennial, herbaceous plants native to temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The genus contains many species which usually reproduce by apomixis, resulting in many local populations and endemism. In the British Isles alone, 234 microspecies are recognised in 9 loosely defined sections of which 40 are probably endemic.

The flower head is surrounded by bracts in two series. The inner bracts are erect until the seeds mature and then flex downward to allow the seeds to disperse. The outer bracts are often reflexed downward but remain pressed in plants of the sections Palustria and Spectabilia. Some species drop the "parachute" from the achenes. The hair-like parachutes are called pappus, and they are modified sepals. Between the pappus and the achene is a stalk called a beak, which elongates as the fruit matures. The beak breaks off from the achene quite easily, separating the seed from the parachute.

Taraxacum are seed-dispersed ruderals that rapidly colonize disturbed soil, especially the Common Dandelion (T. officinale), which has been introduced over much of the temperate world. After flowering is finished, the dandelion flower head dries out for a day or two. The dried petals and stamens drop off, the bracts curve backwards and the parachute ball opens into a full sphere. When development is complete, the mature seeds are attached to white, fluffy parachutes which easily detach from the seed head and glide by wind, thus dispersing wildly.