Dandelion
Scientific Name: Taraxacum officinale
Family: Asteraceae
MORPHOLOGY
Growth habit and size: Perennial herbaceous plant, 10-30 cm high, with a taproot. Exceptionally polymorphic in details, with around 60 varieties classified in Italy alone.
Stem: Almost nonexistent.
Leaves: Pinnately lobed, gathered in a basal rosette, with a conspicuous petiole, sometimes broadly winged.
Flowers: Large capitula with a diameter of 2.5-4 cm, with an involucre equipped with linear outer scales, folded downwards; zygomorphic ligulate flowers, yellow in color, with stamens articulated on the corolla, fused to the anthers. It blooms all year round, from January to December.
Fruits and seeds: Achenes with a thin beak and pedunculated pappus expanded like an umbrella.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
It grows throughout Italy from sea level up to 1,700 m. It prefers fertile and fertilized meadows, and it is found in clearings of deciduous forests and anthropized environments.
USE
This plant is edible. The basal rosettes are slightly bitter and are consumed both raw and cooked in salads, or in omelets mixed with other herbs. The flower buds can be used like capers after being salted or pickled. By macerating the flowers in sugar syrup, a kind of honey can be obtained. The leaves have diuretic properties. Before taking any plant-based product (medicinal or non-medicinal) for therapeutic or similar purposes, it is always advisable to consult a doctor.
INTERESTING FACTS
Due to its diuretic properties, it is also called “pissabed” or “dog piss”, and for its appearance when in seed, it is also called “dandelion clock” for how the feathery seeds disperse in the air when blown.
Photo: Kindly provided by Claudio Farinati
