Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg.

Common Dandelion

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Common Dandelion is an introduced herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It can be found throughout Alabama, but is less common in the southern counties. Common Dandelion occurs in a wide range of disturbed sites including lawns, pastures, roadsides, vacant lots, and along railroad tracks. It is a perennial from a tap root. The lobed leaves occur in a basal rosette. Flowers are produced in heads. Only ray flowers are produced. The heads are one per leafless stalk and held above the foliage. The sap of Common Dandelion in milky. The fruit is an achene (a dry single seeded fruit that does not split at maturity) that is olive green or tan in color and has an “umbrella” of hairs called pappus. The pappus is white in color and aids in wind dispersal. A second less common species also occurs in Alabama--Red Seed Dandelion (Taraxacum erythrospermum Andrzejowski ex Besser). It differs in having leaves that are more deeply dissected and fruit that are reddish purple in color. It can be difficult to distinguish the two species. Leaf shape varies a great deal, both between plants and on a single plant. Early leaves and leaves on plants growing in the shade tend to be less deeply lobed that older leaves and leaves on plants in full sun. Dandelions also produce seed asexually by apomixes. Pollination does not occur and the seed are genetically identical to the parent. These factors have led to the description of numerous species, sub-species, varieties, and “micro-species”. Common Dandelion has been used in herbal medicine, the leaves can be eaten raw in salads, and the flowers are used to make Dandelion Wine. The leaves are an excellent source of vitamin C. --A. Diamond

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Not Native FACU (NWPL)

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