common dandelion (Vascular Plants of Lost Cove Farm)

common dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

Summary ⁵

Taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion (often simply called "dandelion"), is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant of the family Asteraceae (Compositae). It can be found growing in temperate regions of the world, in lawns, on roadsides, on disturbed banks and shores of water ways, and other areas with moist soils. T. officinale is considered a weed, especially in lawns and along roadsides, but it is sometimes used as a medical herb and in food preparation. Common dandelion...

Associations ⁶

In Great Britain and/or Ireland:
Foodplant / feeds on
adult of Aeolothrips tenuicornis feeds on live flower of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato

Foodplant / spot causer
few, epiphyllous, scattered, blackish-brown pycnidium of Ascochyta coelomycetous anamorph of Ascochyta taraxaci causes spots on live leaf of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato
Remarks: season: 8

Foodplant / parasite
sporangium of Bremia lactucae parasitises live Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato
Other: unusual host/prey

Plant / resting place / within
puparium of Chromatomyia farfarella may be found in leaf-mine of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Ensina sonchi feeds within capitulum of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato

Foodplant / spot causer
amphigenous colony of Ramularia hyphomycetous anamorph of Mycosphaerella hieracii causes spots on live leaf of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato
Remarks: season: 9-10

Foodplant / visitor
adult of Myopa visits for nectar and/or pollen flower of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato

Foodplant / internal feeder
larva of Paroxyna producta feeds within capitulum of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato
Remarks: Other: uncertain

Foodplant / miner
larva of Phytomyza wahlgreni mines leaf (mid-rib) of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato
Other: sole host/prey

Foodplant / parasite
Podosphaera fusca parasitises live Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato

Foodplant / gall
chlamydospore of Protomyces pachydermus causes gall of live peduncle of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato

Foodplant / parasite
aecium of Puccinia dioicae var. silvatica parasitises live Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato
Remarks: Other: uncertain

Foodplant / parasite
telium of Puccinia hieracii var. hieracii parasitises live Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato

Foodplant / parasite
telium of Puccinia variabilis parasitises live leaf of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato

Foodplant / gall
sorus of Synchytrium taraxaci causes gall of live phyllary of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato

Foodplant / feeds on
male of Thrips hukkineni feeds on live flower of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato
Remarks: season: 5,7-9

Foodplant / feeds on
female of Thrips physapus feeds on live flower of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato
Remarks: season: 5,7-9

Foodplant / feeds on
adult of Thrips tabaci feeds on live flower of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato

Foodplant / feeds on
adult of Thrips validus feeds on live flower of Taraxacum officinale agg. sensu lato
Remarks: season: 4-9

Biology ⁷

Dandelions have deep taproots, and the whole plant contains a milky fluid known as latex (6). It is perennial, and flowers throughout the year (5). The flowers close at night, and can produce around 2,000 wind-dispersed fruits (1). Plants can also regenerate from pieces of the tap root (1). Although generally regarded as a weed, dandelions have many uses, both culinary and medicinal (6). It is a scientifically proven diuretic and laxative (4), and has also been used as a tonic, to treat rheumatic problems, and as a blood purifier (6). Young leaves and flowers are used in salads, stir-fries and other recipes, and the root can be dried to make a substitute for coffee, a practice that was common during the rationing of the Second World War (4).

Comments ⁸

Taraxacum officinale is the most widespread dandelion in temperate North America, though its abundance decreases in the arid south. It is a familiar weed of lawns and roadsides. It is also the species most commonly used for medicinal and culinary purposes (e.g., E. Small and P. M. Catling 1999).

Phenotypic and genotypic variation of this species have been studied in North America (L. M. King 1993; King and B. A. Schaal 1990; J. C. Lyman and N. C. Ellstrand 1998; O. T. Solbrig 1971; R. J. Taylor 1987), but results of those studies did not lead to the recognition of microspecies.

Specimens of Taraxacum officinale with deeply lobed leaves are sometimes difficult to distinguish from those of T. erythrospermum when fruits are missing (see also R. J. Taylor 1987). Usually, however, early leaves of the former are much less deeply lobed than those of the latter, which are more consistently lacerate throughout development, though broadly winged initially. The two taxa are easily distinguished in fruit, the red cypselae of T. erythrospermum standing out from the dull olive ones of T. officinale.

In northeastern North America, Taraxacum officinale and T. lapponicum often are confused, which has led to reports of the common dandelion farther north than I have been able to verify (it has yet to be collected from the Nunavik region of Quebec, for instance). The characters in the key above help separate the two taxa.

The typification by A. J. Richards (1985) would leave the common dandelion of both Europe and North America without a valid name (J. Kirschner and J. Štepánek 1987). For the time being, with the nomenclatural situation still not resolved, I am following traditional usage of the name Taraxacum officinale.

Sources and Credits

(c) Dorota (Dorothy), some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/92392149@N00/2446486568
(c) Lali Masriera, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/visualpanic/2608937632/
(c) Elido Turco, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/elidoturco/5642260267/
(c) frankieleon, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/armydre2008/3557493024/
Adapted by Jonathan (JC) Carpenter from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taraxacum_officinale
(c) BioImages, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/22911698
(c) Wildscreen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/6690986
(c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/19821453

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