Common dandelion, Blow ball
| Botanical Name | Taraxacum officinale |
| Common Name | Common dandelion, Blow ball |
| Family | Asteraceae - Aster |
| Description | A perennial with milky juice. Leaves are 2-12" long and are usually deeply lobed. It has no true stems. All leaves and hollow, leafless stems grow directly from the rootstalk. The taproot is often several feet long. |
| Mature Size | 2"-20" |
| Bloom | It blooms about 9 months of the year. Heads are solitary and 1"-2" across. Composed of yellow petal-like ray flowers. Each head develops into a showy, circular ball of windblown seeds. |
| Interesting Facts | Native to Europe. The jagged edges of the leaves suggest the row of teeth in a lion's jaw. Hence the English name dandelion, which is a corruption of the French dent-de-lion. |
| Traditional and Medicinal Uses | Good forage, especially relished by sheep and cattle. All parts are edible. Roots are ground and used for a coffee substitute. Flower heads make wine. Young leaves are cooked like spinach. Leaves and root are a diuretic. At San Ildefonso Pueblo, the ground leaves - reduced to a paste with water - have been spread over a fracture with dandelion leaves bound on it with rags. The dandelion is a popular "toy" for children. |
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Photo for SFBG by Janice Tucker
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Santa Fe Botanical Garden
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