Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale (WEBER)
Family: Asteraceae (ass-ter-AY-see-ee) Means that it is in the aster (daisy)
family. It was formerly in the Compositae family. Alternative Pronunciation:
ass-ter-AY-see-ay
Genus: Taraxacum (ta-RAKS-uh-kum) This is the medieval name for a bitter
herb and may be derived from the Greek ‘taraxos’ (disorder) or ‘taraxo’
(caused), and akos (remedy) or achos (pain), because of the medicinal uses of
the plant. Some believe that it is derived from Arabic or Persioan talkh chakok
also meaning bitter herb.
Species: officinale (oh-fiss-ih-NAH-lee) Officinale is used to show that it is
officially sold in stores for its pharmacological uses for it real or supposed
medicinal properties.
Dandelion
The common English name
"Dandelion" is a derivation of the
French Dent-de-Lion, which means
"tooth of the lion". This is in
reference to the deeply toothed
margins of the leaves. The same
meaning was evident in its former
Latin name ‘Dens leonis’ and in the
Greek name ‘Leontodon.’ Other
common names are lions-tooth,
blow-ball, priest's crown, swine's
snout and cankerwort. It is native to
Europe but naturalized in North
America and Asia.
Dandelion
Dandelion is a perennial plant with a basal rosette
and yellow flowers and a 'puff-ball' seedhead.
Dandelion is one of the most common weeds of the
Northern Hemisphere. It does not occur naturally
in the Southern Hemisphere. It is grown in
Australia as a cash crop.
Dandelion
Young leaves form a basal rosette
and are oval in shape, 5 to 15
cm long. Older leaves, which
are also basal, are shiny and
without hairs. The margin of
each leaf is cut into great
jagged teeth, either upright or
pointing somewhat backwards
and these teeth are themselves
cut here and there into lesser
teeth.
Each leaf has a groove so that all
the rain falling on it is
conducted straight to the centre
of the rosette and to the root. A
very useful adaptation for
keeping the root well watered.
Future location of photo.
Dandelion
The flowers are large, bright yellow and about 3 cm to 5 cm wide. The flowers appear
singly on the end of an unbranched, leafless, shiny, purplish, hollow stalk called a
scape which is 5 to 15 cm tall. The scape seems to be smaller on lawns to avoid the
lawn mower. On picking the flower, a bitter, milky liquid exudes from the broken
edges of the stem. This fluid is found throughout the plant. It often creates a brown
stain if it comes in contact with the skin. The flower contains a copious supply of
nectar for the many varieties of flies and bees which pollinate it. The dandelion is an
important plant in honey making as it supplies both pollen and nectar to bees.
Dandelion
The flower head closes in
the rain and every night
to protect it from the dew.
When the flower head
matures, it closes up
again and forms a green
bud which looks like the
snout of a pig. The
yellow petals wither and
drop off. When the bud
opens again, the flower
has changed from yellow
to white as if going
through a metamorphosis
in a cocoon.
Dandelion
The fruit is an achene that is brown, 35 mm long, with the familiar
feathery pappus attached that
disperse the seed with the slightest
wind. The collection of seed on top
of the stem resembles a ‘puff-ball.’
When all the seeds are gone, the
top of the scape is bare and
surrounded by the drooping
remnants of the sheathing bracts
which reminded people of the
Middle Ages of the shaven head of
a priest, thus the common name
'priest's crown.' The seeds are
popular with small birds. Pigs,
rabbits and goats, eat the whole
plant but sheep, horses and cows
avoid it.
Dandelion
The seedling cotyledons are light-green,
smooth, and oval to spatulate in shape
The perennial roots form a deep taproot up
to 1.5 cm in diameter. They are fleshy and
brittle with a dark brown colour on the
outside and a white interior.
Dandelion
Although gardeners consider dandelion a nuisance and some people
have allergic reactions when they touch the plant, herbalists
consider it to be one of the most nutrient-rich in the plant kingdom.
It is considered to aid appetite loss, indigestion, kidney, gall and
bladder stones, liver and gallbladder problems, dropsy, jaundice in
young chrldren, constipation, urinary tract infections as well as
scrofula, eczema and all eruptions on the surface of the body. It has
also been used as a remedy for scurvy.
Dandelion
The whole plant is edible. It is a source of potassium,
sodium, phosphorus, iron, Vitamins B, C and D. The
leaves have more vitamin A than carrots. In many
parts of the world a tea is made with the leaves and
boiling water. This ‘herbal tea’ is an easy way to get
many of the nutrients from the plant into the body.
Some uses include:
• the flowers are used to make wine;
• the young leaves can be boiled like spinach (mature
leaves are too bitter to eat);
• leaves can be torn and added to salads, placed in a
stir fry or placed in sandwiches;
• the roots can be used as a vegetable and as a coffee
substitute.
Dandelion
Receipts for teas, etc. are available on the Internet but as usual caution is
recommended and consultation with a doctor is imperative before preparation of
any of these. One such receipt is listed below for illustration purposes only.
To make one gallon of dandelion wine you need:
•
•
•
•
•
•
1 gallon dandelion blossoms
1 gallon hot water
Juice of 1 lemon
3 oranges, peeled and sliced
4 lbs of sugar
1 cake of yeast
Combine water and blossoms in a crock. Let stand for 24 hours, then strain.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Let the mixture set for 3 weeks, then bottle.
Age the bottles for at least 2 months.
Dandelion
All parts of the plant contain a
milky latex juice which is used
for medicinal purposes. The
first mention of dandelion as a
medicine appears in the 10th
and 11th century writings of
Arabian physicians.
Dandelion is used in many patent
medicines.
Dandelion is found near the
bordering roads and the
parking lot in Altona Forest. It
is also seen in a few places
along the trails where sun
penetrates to the ground.
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