description
Taraxacum officinale is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant of the Asteraceae family. It grows from generally unbranched taproots and produces one to more than ten stems that are typically 5 to 40 cm tall, but sometimes up to 70 cm tall. The stems can be tinted purplish, and produce flower heads that are as tall or taller than the foliage. The leaves are 5 to 45 cm long and 1 to 10 cm wide, and are oblanceolate, oblong, or obovate in shape, with the bases gradually narrowing to the petiole. The leaf margins are typically shallowly lobed to deeply lobed and often lacerate or toothed with sharp or dull teeth. The stems can be glabrous or sparsely covered with short hairs. Plants have milky latex and the leaves are all basal; each flowering stem lacks bracts and has one single flower head. The yellow flower heads lack receptacle bracts and all the flowers, which are called florets, are ligulate and bisexual. The florets number 40 to over 100 per head, having corollas that are yellow or orange-yellow in color. The fruits range in color from olive-green or olive-brown to straw-colored to grayish, they are oblanceoloid in shape and 2 to 3 mm long with slender beaks. The fruits have 4 to 12 ribs that have sharp edges. The silky pappi, which form the parachutes, are white to silver-white in color and around 6 mm wide.

common names & nomenclature
The genus name Taraxacum, might be from the Arabic word Tharakhchakon or from the Greek word Tarraxos. The common name dandelion, comes from the French phrase dent de lion which means "lion's tooth", in reference to the jagged shaped foliage.

Also known as:
lion's teeth, blowball, clocks, priest's crown, puffball, cankerwort, dandelion

Taraxacum officinale is native to Eurasia, and now is naturalized throughout North America, southern Africa, South America, New Zealand, Australia, and India. It occurs in all 50 states of the USA and most Canadian provinces.

climate
Dandelion can be found growing in temperate regions of the world, in lawns, on roadsides, on disturbed banks and shores of water ways. It is considered a noxious weed in some jurisdictions, and is considered to be a nuisance in residential and recreational lawns in North America.

soil
Prefers to grow in moist fertile soils, but can adapt to most soil types.

growing
This plant grows readily by seed, which is typically blown up to hundreds of feet by the wind, and rarely needs help propagating. Sow seeds directly into outdoor location about ¼ inch below the soil surface.

harvesting
Harvest leaves in the spring and roots in late fall from plants that are 2 years or older.

preserving
Dried leaves can be cut into smaller pieces; dried root can be cut or powdered. Store in airtight containers in a cool, dry place.