Taraxacum#Edibility

File:Pollen grains of Taraxacum.jpg of the dandelion - Taraxacum officinale.]]

File:Dandelion pappus fiber.jpg fibre showing barbs]]

The species of Taraxacum are tap-rooted, perennial, herbaceous plants, native to temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The genus contains many species, which usually (or in the case of triploids, obligately) reproduce by apomixis, resulting in many local populations and endemism. In the British Isles alone, 234 microspecies (i.e. morphologically distinct clonal populations) are recognised in nine loosely defined sections, of which 40 are "probably endemic".{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nJ3YP28EjscC |title=New Flora of the British Isles |last=Stace|first=C. A. |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2010 |isbn=9780521707725 |edition=Third|location=Cambridge, U.K.|page=712|author-link=Stace, C. A.}} A number of species of Taraxacum are seed-dispersed ruderals that rapidly colonise disturbed soil, especially the common dandelion (T. officinale), which has been introduced over much of the temperate world. After flowering is finished, the dandelion flower head dries out for a day or two. The dried petals and stamens drop off, the bracts reflex (curve backwards), and the parachute ball opens into a full sphere. When development is complete, the mature seeds are attached to white, fluffy "parachutes" which easily detach from the seedhead and glide by wind, dispersing.

In Taraxacum ovules, the megaspore mother cell is the only cell committed to enter the meiotic process.Cornaro L, Banfi C, Cavalleri A, van Dijk PJ, Radoeva T, Cucinotta M, Colombo L. Apomixis at high resolution: unravelling diplospory in Asteraceae. J Exp Bot. 2025 Apr 9;76(6):1644-1657. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erae477. PMID: 39673465; PMCID: PMC11981899. Teraxacum officinale is able to reproduce by a sexual meiotic process involving the production of haploid gametes, as well as by an asexual parthenogenetic meiotic process, referred to as apomixis, that produces diploid seeds genetically identical to the mother plant. Parthenogenesis permits the autonomous development of an unreduced egg cell into an embryo without the requirement of fertilisation.

The seeds are able to cover large distances when dispersed due to the unique morphology of the pappus which works to create a unique type of vortex ring{{Cite journal|last1=Cummins|first1=Cathal|last2=Seale|first2=Madeleine|last3=Macente|first3=Alice|last4=Certini|first4=Daniele|last5=Mastropaolo|first5=Enrico|last6=Viola|first6=Ignazio Maria|last7=Nakayama|first7=Naomi|date=2018|title=A separated vortex ring underlies the flight of the dandelion|journal=Nature|volume=562|issue=7727|pages=414–8|doi=10.1038/s41586-018-0604-2|pmid=30333579|bibcode=2018Natur.562..414C|s2cid=52988814 |url=http://eprints.gla.ac.uk/171858/7/171858.pdf}}{{Cite journal|last1=Ledda|first1=P. G.|last2=Siconolfi|first2=L.|last3=Viola|first3=F.|last4=Camarri|first4=S.|last5=Gallaire|first5=F.|date=2019-07-02|title=Flow dynamics of a dandelion pappus: A linear stability approach|journal=Physical Review Fluids|volume=4|issue=7|page=071901|doi=10.1103/physrevfluids.4.071901|bibcode=2019PhRvF...4g1901L|issn=2469-990X|hdl=11568/998044|s2cid=198429309|hdl-access=free}} that stays attached to the seed rather than being sent downstream. In addition to the creation of this vortex ring, the pappus can adjust its morphology depending on the moisture in the air. This allows the plume of seeds to close up and reduce the chance to separate from the stem, waiting for optimal conditions that will maximise dispersal and germination.{{Cite journal|title= Environmental morphing enables informed dispersal of the dandelion diaspore|last1=Seale|first1=Madeleine|last2=Zhdanov|first2=Oleksandr|date=2019-02-07|last3=Cummins|first3=Cathal|last4=Kroll|first4=Erika|last5=Blatt|first5=Michael R|last6=Zare-Behtash|first6=Hossein|last7=Busse|first7=Angela|last8=Mastropaolo|first8=Enrico|last9=Viola|first9=Ignazio Maria|journal=eLife |volume=11 |doi=10.7554/eLife.81962|doi-access=free |pmid=36445222 |pmc=9797189 |hdl=10044/1/102018|hdl-access=free}}{{Cite book|title=Investigating seed dispersal distances and long distance dispersal mechanisms of the invasive plant, Alliaria Petiolata|last=Loebach|first=Christopher A.|year=2015|publisher=Illinois State University |isbn=9781321782141|oclc=988948576}}

File:Photos-photos 1088103921 Floating.jpg

File:Желтое море. Чистопольский р-н. РТ. Май 2014 - panoramio.jpg, Russia]]

File:HAWKBEARD.jpg flower heads and ripe seeds are sometimes confused with dandelions.]]

File:Dandelion seedhead with only a single seed still attached.jpg seedhead with only one seed still attached]]

Many similar plants in the family Asteraceae with yellow flowers are sometimes known as false dandelions. Dandelion flowers are very similar to those of cat's ears (Hypochaeris). Both plants carry similar flowers, which form into windborne seeds. However, dandelion flowers are borne singly on unbranched, hairless and leafless, hollow stems, while cat's ear flowering stems are branched, solid, and carry bracts. Both plants have a basal rosette of leaves and a central taproot. However, the leaves of dandelions are smooth or glabrous, whereas those of cat's ears are coarsely hairy.{{rp|740}}

Early-flowering dandelions may be distinguished from coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) by their basal rosette of leaves, their lack of disc florets, and the absence of scales on the flowering stem.{{cite book|last1=Blamey|first1=M.|last2=Fitter|first2=R.|last3=Fitter|first3=A|year=2003|title=Wild flowers of Britain and Ireland: The Complete Guide to the British and Irish Flora.|publisher=A & C Black|location=London|isbn=978-1408179505|page=274}}

Other plants with superficially similar flowers include hawkweeds (Hieracium) and hawksbeards (Crepis). These are readily distinguished by branched flowering stems, which are usually hairy and bear leaves.{{rp|740}}

The genus is taxonomically complex due to the presence of apomixis; any morphologically distinct clonal population would deserve its own microspecies. Phylogenetic approaches are also complicated by the accelerated mutation in apomixic lines and repeated ancient hybridisation events in the genus.

As of 1970, the group is divided into about 34 macrospecies or sections, and about 2000 microspecies;{{cite journal |author=A. J. Richards |year=1970 |title=Eutriploid facultative agamospermy in Taraxacum |journal=New Phytologist |volume=69 |issue=3 |pages=761–774 |jstor=2430530 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-8137.1970.tb02461.x|doi-access=free |bibcode=1970NewPh..69..761R }} some botanists take a much narrower view and only accept a total of about 60 (macro)species. By 2015, the number has been revised to include 60 sections and about 2800 microspecies. 30 of these sections are known to reproduce sexually.{{cite journal |last1=Kirschner |first1=Jan |last2=Záveská Drábková |first2=Lenka |last3=Štěpánek |first3=Jan |last4=Uhlemann |first4=Ingo |title=Towards a better understanding of the Taraxacum evolution (Compositae–Cichorieae) on the basis of nrDNA of sexually reproducing species |journal=Plant Systematics and Evolution |date=April 2015 |volume=301 |issue=4 |pages=1135–1156 |doi=10.1007/s00606-014-1139-0 |bibcode=2015PSyEv.301.1135K |s2cid=17903814 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265346629}}

About 235 apomictic and polyploid microspecies have been recorded in Great Britain and Ireland alone.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dSwmAQAAMAAJ|title=Dandelions of Great Britain and Ireland (Handbooks for Field Identification)|last=Richards|first=A.J.|publisher=Botanical Society of the British Isles Publications|year=1997|isbn=978-0-901158-25-3|page=330}}

Botanists specialising in the genus Taraxacum are sometimes called taraxacologists,{{Cite web |date=2020-01-17 |title=Overlooked dandelion diversity in BC (and everywhere in North America?) |url=https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/overlooked-dandelion-diversity-in-bc-and-everywhere-in-north-america/3808/59 |access-date=2023-10-31 |website=iNaturalist Community Forum }} for example Gunnar Marklund, Johannes Leendert van Soest or A.J. Richards.{{Cite book |last1=Dudman |first1=A. A. |title=Dandelions of Great Britain and Ireland |last2=Richards |first2=A. J. |last3=Stewart |first3=Olga |date=2000 |publisher=Botanical Society of the British Isles |isbn=978-0-901158-25-3 |edition=Reprinted with minor alterations 2000 |series=B.S.B.I. handbook |location=London}}

{{Main|List of Taraxacum species}}

• Taraxacum albidum, the white-flowered Japanese dandelion, a hybrid between T. coreanum and T. japonicum
• Taraxacum algarbiense
• Taraxacum aphrogenes, the Paphos dandelion
• Taraxacum arcticum
• Taraxacum balticum
• Taraxacum brachyceras
• Taraxacum brevicorniculatum, frequently misidentified as T. kok-saghyz and a poor rubber producer{{Cite journal|last1=Nowicki|first1=Marcin|last2=Zhao|first2=Yichen|last3=Boggess|first3=Sarah L.|last4=Fluess|first4=Helge|last5=Payá-Milans|first5=Miriam|last6=Staton|first6=Margaret E.|last7=Houston|first7=Logan C.|last8=Hadziabdic|first8=Denita|last9=Trigiano|first9=Robert N.|date=2019-02-13|title=Taraxacum kok-saghyz (rubber dandelion) genomic microsatellite loci reveal modest genetic diversity and cross-amplify broadly to related species|journal=Scientific Reports|volume=9|issue=1|pages=1915|doi=10.1038/s41598-019-38532-8|pmid=30760810|pmc=6374447|bibcode=2019NatSR...9.1915N|issn=2045-2322}}
• Taraxacum californicum, the California dandelion, an endangered species
• Taraxacum carneocoloratum
• Taraxacum centrasiaticum, the Xinjiang dandelion
• Taraxacum ceratophorum, the horned dandelion, considered by some sources to be a North American subspecies of T. officinale (T. officinale subsp. ceratophorum){{ cite web | url = http://www.abmi.ca/abmi/biodiversitybrowser/speciesprofile.jsp?tsnId=36200&rankId=220&kingdomId=3 | title = Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute - Taraxacum ceratophorum | access-date = 2013-08-29 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140708002640/http://www.abmi.ca/abmi/biodiversitybrowser/speciesprofile.jsp?tsnId=36200&rankId=220&kingdomId=3 | archive-date = 8 July 2014}}
• Taraxacum coreanum
• Taraxacum desertorum
• Taraxacum erythrospermum, the red-seeded dandelion, often considered a variety of T. laevigatum (i.e., T. laevigatum var. erythrospermum){{cite web|url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242417345 |title=Flora of North America |publisher=Efloras.org |access-date=2012-08-29}}
• Taraxacum farinosum, the Turkish dandelion
• Taraxacum holmboei, the Troödos dandelion
• Taraxacum hybernum
• Taraxacum japonicum, the Japanese dandelion, no ring of smallish, downward-turned leaves under the flower head
• Taraxacum kok-saghyz, the Kazakh dandelion, which produces rubber{{Cite web|url=http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Taraxacum+kok-saghyz|title=Plants for a Future Search Error|website=www.ibiblio.org|access-date=2017-04-17}}
• Taraxacum laevigatum, the rock dandelion, achenes reddish brown and leaves deeply cut throughout the length, inner bracts' tips are hooded
• Taraxacum lissocarpum
• Taraxacum minimum
• Taraxacum mirabile
• Taraxacum officinale (syn. T. officinale subsp. vulgare), the common dandelion, found in many forms
• Taraxacum pankhurstianum, the St. Kilda dandelion
• Taraxacum platycarpum, the Korean dandelion
• Taraxacum pseudoroseum
• Taraxacum rubifolium
• Taraxacum suecicum

• 'Amélioré à Coeur Plein' yields an abundant crop without taking up much ground, and tends to blanch itself naturally, due to its clumping growth habit.
• 'Broad-leaved' - The leaves are thick and tender and easily blanched. In rich soils, they can be up to 60 mm (2') wide. Plants do not go to seed as quickly as French types.
• 'Vert de Montmagny' is a large-leaved, vigorous grower, which matures early.{{cite web|title=Dandelion|date=5 October 2016 |url=http://www.fondation-louisbonduelle.org/france/en/know-your-vegetables/nutritional-assets-of-vegetables/dandelion-161.html#axzz3PXUjSNaK|publisher=Fondation Louis Bonduelle}}

File:Blackwell dens leonis.jpg]]

File:Danedlion Maria Sibylla Merian.png of a dandelion serving as a plant host to the pale tussock moth]]

Dandelions are thought to have evolved about 30 million years ago in Eurasia.{{cite web |url=http://gardening.wsu.edu/column/05-04-03.htm |title=Gardening in Western Washington: Dandelions |publisher=Gardening.wsu.edu |date=2003-05-04 |access-date=2012-08-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626161645/http://gardening.wsu.edu/column/05-04-03.htm |archive-date=26 June 2012}} Fossil seeds of Taraxacum tanaiticum have been recorded from the Pliocene of southern Belarus.The Pliocene flora of Kholmech, southeastern Belarus and its correlation with other Pliocene floras of Europe by Felix Yu. VELICHKEVICH and Ewa ZASTAWNIAK - Acta Palaeobot. 43(2): 137–259, 2003 Dandelions have been used by humans for food and as an herb for much of recorded history. They were well known to ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and are recorded to have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over a thousand years. The plant was used as food and medicine by Native Americans.{{Cite book | author=Clarke, Charlotte Bringle | title=Edible and useful plants of California | year=1977 | publisher=University of California Press | location=Berkeley | isbn=978-0-520-03261-3 | page=191}} Dandelions were probably brought to North America on the Mayflower for their supposed medicinal benefits.{{Cite web|url=http://www.mofga.org/Default.aspx?tabid=756|title=Dandelions|publisher=Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association|access-date=2017-04-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220014238/http://www.mofga.org/Default.aspx?tabid=756|archive-date=2017-02-20}} Purposeful cultivation of dandelions seems to have begun in the United States in the early mid-19th century.{{Cite journal |last=Sturtevant |first=E. Lewis |date=1886 |title=A Study of the Dandelion |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2450721 |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=5–9 |doi=10.1086/274134 |jstor=2450721 |bibcode=1886ANat...20....5S |issn=0003-0147}}

File:TaxicumLeaf.jpg

The Latin name Taraxacum derives from the Arabic {{lang|ar-Latn|tarakhshaqūn}}, meaning a bitter herb.Gledhill, David (2008). The Names of Plants. Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|9780521866453}} (hardback), {{ISBN|9780521685535}} (paperback). pp 279, 371 The Arabic term is possibly of Persian origin.{{cite dictionary |url=https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/taraxacum |dictionary=Collins |title=Taraxacum |access-date=2 May 2025}} Persian polymath Al-Razi used the word {{lang|ar-Latn|tarakhshaqūn}} in relation to dandelions, chicory, and endives.{{cite book |last1=Neves |first1=Liz |title=Northeast Medicinal Plants: Identify, Harvest, and Use 111 Wild Herbs for Health and Wellness |date=2 June 2020 |publisher=Timber Press |isbn=978-1-60469-913-5 |page=14 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Northeast_Medicinal_Plants/femvDwAAQBAJ |language=en}} Al-Razi wrote "the {{lang|ar-Latn|tarakhshaqūn}} is like chicory, but more efficacious"; it is unclear exactly to which plant Al-Razi referred. If Persian in origin, the word could have originally meant "bitter purslane" from تلک (talk or bitter) and چکش (chakūk or purslane).{{cite book |title=The Australian Oxford dictionary |date=2005 |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=South Melbourne, Vic |isbn=9780191735059 |edition=2nd |section=Taraxacum}} Gerard of Cremona, in translating Arabic to Latin around 1170, spelled it tarasacon.Reported in An Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, by Walter W. Skeat (1888) ([https://archive.org/details/etymologicaldict00skeauoft Downloadable at Archive.org]). In An Etymology Dictionary of Modern English by Ernest Weekley (1921) it is reported that Arabic طرشقون‎ tarashaqun is derivable in turn from Persian تلخ چکوک talkh chakok, bitter herb ([https://archive.org/details/etymologicaldict00weekuoft Downloadable at Archive.org]).

The English name, dandelion, is a borrowing of the French dent de lion{{Cite journal |last=Sturtevant |first=E. Lewis |date=1886 |title=A Study of the Dandelion |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2450721 |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=5–9 |doi=10.1086/274134 |jstor=2450721 |bibcode=1886ANat...20....5S |issn=0003-0147}}S. Potter & L. Sargent (1973) Pedigree: essays on the etymology of words from nature. Collins New Naturalist series Volume 56 meaning "lion's tooth", referring to the coarsely toothed leaves. The plant is also known as blowball, cankerwort, doon-head-clock, witch's gowan, milk witch, lion's-tooth, yellow-gowan, Irish daisy, monks-head, priest's-crown, and puff-ball;{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QGtYAAAAYAAJ|title=An illustrated flora of the northern United States and Canada: from Newfoundland to the parallel of the southern boundary of Virginia, and from the Atlantic Ocean westward to the 102d meridian|publisher=Dover Publications|year=1970|isbn=978-0-486-22644-6|location=New York|page=315|author1=Britton, N. F.|author2=Brown, Addison}} other common names include faceclock, pee-a-bed, wet-a-bed,{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/akso/NatRes/EPMT/Species_bios/Taraxacum%20officinale.pdf|title=Common Dandelion_Family: Asteraceae}}

swine's snout,{{Cite journal |last=Sturtevant |first=E. Lewis |date=1886 |title=A Study of the Dandelion |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2450721 |journal=The American Naturalist |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=5–9 |doi=10.1086/274134 |jstor=2450721 |bibcode=1886ANat...20....5S |issn=0003-0147}}{{Cite book | last = Loewer | first = Peter | year = 2001 | title = Solving weed problems | page = [https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781585742745/page/210 210] | url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781585742745 | url-access = registration | quote = Swine's Snout. | isbn = 978-1-58574-274-5 | publisher = Lyons Press | location = Guilford, Conn.}} white endive, and wild endive.{{cite web|url=http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Dandelion+clock|title=Dandelion clock|work=TheFreeDictionary.com}}

The English folk name "piss-a-bed" (and indeed the equivalent French {{Lang|fr|pissenlit}}) refers to the strong diuretic effect of the plant's roots.{{cite book|last=Taylor|first=Joseph|title=Antiquitates curiosae: the etymology of many remarkable old sayings, proverbs and singular customs explained by Joseph Taylor|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OveC_aPCuXcC&pg=PA97|edition=2nd|year=1819|publisher=T&J Allman|page=97}} In Swedish, it is called maskros (worm rose) after the nymphs of small insects (thrips larvae) usually present in the flowers.{{cite web|url=http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/astera/tarax/welcome.html |title=Den virtuella floran: Taraxacum F. H. Wigg. - Maskrosor |publisher=Linnaeus.nrm.se |language=sv |access-date=2010-07-03}}

Raw dandelion greens contain high amounts of vitamins A, C, and K, and are moderate sources of calcium, potassium, iron, and manganese.{{cite web | url = http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2441/2 | title = Dandelion greens, raw | publisher = Nutritiondata.com, Conde Nast Inc. | access-date = 2011-03-07}} Raw dandelion greens are 86% water, 9% carbohydrates, 3% protein, and 1% fat. A 100 gram ({{frac|3|1|2}}oz) reference amount supplies 45 Calories.

The raw flowers contain diverse phytochemicals, including polyphenols, such as flavonoids apigenin, isoquercitrin (a quercetin-like compound), and caffeic acid, as well as terpenoids, triterpenes, and sesquiterpenes. The roots contain a substantial amount of the prebiotic fibre inulin. Dandelion greens contain lutein.{{Cite web|url=https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/dietary-factors/phytochemicals/carotenoids|title=Carotenoids|date=1 July 2016|publisher=Micronutrient Information Center, Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University|access-date=27 June 2019}}

Taraxalisin, a serine proteinase, is found in the latex of dandelion roots.{{Cite journal | pmid = 10521720| year = 1999| last1 = Bogacheva| first1 = A. M.| title = A new subtilisin-like proteinase from roots of the dandelion Taraxacum officinale Webb S. L| journal = Biochemistry. Biokhimiia| volume = 64| issue = 9| pages = 1030–7| last2 = Rudenskaya| first2 = G. N.| last3 = Preusser| first3 = A| last4 = Tchikileva| first4 = I. O.| last5 = Dunaevsky| first5 = Y. E.| last6 = Golovkin| first6 = B. N.| last7 = Stepanov| first7 = V. M.}}{{Cite journal|last1=Rudenskaya|first1=G. N.|last2=Bogacheva|first2=A. M.|last3=Preusser|first3=A.|last4=Kuznetsova|first4=A. V.|last5=Dunaevsky YaE|first5=null|last6=Golovkin|first6=B. N.|last7=Stepanov|first7=V. M.|date=1998-10-23|title=Taraxalisin -- a serine proteinase from dandelion Taraxacum officinale Webb s.l|journal=FEBS Letters|volume=437|issue=3|pages=237–240|issn=0014-5793|pmid=9824298|doi=10.1016/s0014-5793(98)01243-5|s2cid=43872064|doi-access=free|bibcode=1998FEBSL.437..237R }} Maximal activity of the proteinase in the roots is attained in April, at the beginning of plant development after the winter period. Each dandelion seed produced in the spring weighs about half a milligram (mg). Seeds produced in summer are lighter, around .3 mg.{{cite web |title=Dandelion |url=https://cals.cornell.edu/weed-science/weed-profiles/dandelion |website=CALS |publisher=Cornell |access-date=3 May 2025 |language=en}}

File:Dandelion greens at market.jpg at a farmer's market]]

The entire plant, including the leaves, stems, flowers, and roots, is edible and rich in nutrients such as calcium, iron, and vitamins A and K.{{cite web | url = https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2016-05-12/edible-weeds-and-how-you-can-use-them/7406004 | title = Edible weeds that are safe to eat and how you can use them | publisher = ABC News (Australia) | date = 2016-05-11 | access-date = 2021-05-24 | last = Osborne | first = Tegan}} Dandelions grow wild on every continent except Antarctica. Most commercial varieties are native to Eurasia. It is a perennial plant with a taproot, so the greens can be repeatedly harvested if the root remains in the ground.

File:Dandelion greens and roasted pork.jpg

Dandelions contain bitter but water-soluble sesquiterpenes. The bitterness increases later in the season, after the flowers bloom, and as the leaves mature. To make dandelion greens more palatable, they can be blanched, picked young, served with other strong flavours, or some combination. In the Southern United States, they are traditionally served with a hot bacon dressing (similar to spinach salad).{{cite book |author=McGee, Harold |title=On Food and Cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen |publisher=Scribner |location=New York |year=2004 |page=320|isbn=978-0-684-80001-1 |chapter=A survey of common vegetables |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bKVCtH4AjwgC&pg=PA320|title-link=On Food and Cooking}}{{cite web |last1=Kallas |first1=John |title=Making dandelions palatable |url=https://www.backwoodshome.com/making-dandelions-palatable/ |website=Backwoods Home Magazine |date=22 December 2015}} In Italy, the leaves are sauteed, added to soups, or added raw to salads.{{cite web |url=http://www.italianfoodforever.com/2008/05/sauted-dandelion-greens/ |title=Sautéed Dandelion Greens |work=Italian Food Forever |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120208001954/https://italianfoodforever.com/2008/05/sauted-dandelion-greens/ |date=May 29, 2008 |archive-date=8 February 2012 |last=Mele |first=Deborah}} Dandelion greens have been a part of traditional Kashmiri cuisine, Lebanese cuisine,{{cite web |last1=Bergo |first1=Alan |title=Lebanese Dandelions with Carmalized Onions |url=https://foragerchef.com/lebanese-dandelions-with-caramelized-onions-hindbeh/ |website=Forager Chef |date=27 March 2021 |access-date=16 March 2024}} Spanish cuisine, Italian cuisine, Albanian cuisine, Slovenian, Sephardic Jewish, Chinese, Greek cuisine ({{lang|el|χόρτα}}) and Korean cuisines. In Crete, the leaves of a variety called 'Mari' ({{lang|el|Μαρί}}), 'Mariaki' ({{lang|el|Μαριάκι}}), or 'Koproradiko' ({{lang|el|Κοπροράδικο}}) are eaten by locals, either raw or boiled, in salads. T. megalorhizon, a species endemic to Crete, is eaten in the same way; it is found only at high altitudes ({{convert|1000–1600|m|ft}}) and in fallow sites, and is called {{transliteration|el|pentaramia}} ({{lang|el|πενταράμια}}) or {{transliteration|el|agrioradiko}} ({{lang|el|αγριοράδικο}}).{{cite book|url=http://www.nhbs.com/title/149886/wild-edible-plants-of-crete|title=Wild edible plants of Crete - Η Άγρια βρώσιμη χλωρίδα της Κρήτης|publisher=Rethymnon Crete|year=2006|isbn=978-960-631-179-6|author1=Kleonikos G. Stavridakis|author2=Κλεόνικος Γ. Σταυριδάκης}}

The flower petals, along with other ingredients, usually including citrus, are used to make dandelion wine. Its ground, roasted roots can be used as a caffeine-free coffee alternative.{{cite web | url = http://www.nj.com/entertainment/dining/index.ssf/2008/04/dandelion_as_underrated_as_und.html | title = Dandelion as underrated as underfoot | publisher = New Jersey On-Line | date = 2008-04-15 | access-date = 2011-03-07 | last = Castronovo Fusco | first = MA}} Dandelion was also commonly used to make the traditional British soft drink dandelion and burdock, and is one of the ingredients of root beer.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/sep/28/how-make-dandelion-burdock-beer|title=How to make dandelion and burdock beer|newspaper=The Guardian|accessdate=13 March 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Warchol |first1=Kit |title=How Did Root Beer Become Such a Big Deal in Utah? |url=https://www.foodandwine.com/root-beer-8648290 |work=Food & Wine |date=May 15, 2024 |language=en}}

The yellow flowers can be dried and ground into a yellow-pigmented powder and used as a dye.{{Cite book|title=Dyes from natural sources|last=Dyer, Anne.|date=1981|publisher=Bell & Hyman|isbn=0713519371|oclc=219915765}}

Dandelions may cause allergic reactions for sensitive individuals when consumed or coming into contact with skin, but the risk is mild.{{cite journal | last1=Kania-Dobrowolska | first1=Małgorzata | last2=Baraniak | first2=Justyna | title=Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale L.) as a Source of Biologically Active Compounds Supporting the Therapy of Co-Existing Diseases in Metabolic Syndrome | journal=Foods | volume=11 | issue=18 | date=2022-09-15 | issn=2304-8158 | pmid=36140985 | pmc=9498421 | doi=10.3390/foods11182858 | doi-access=free | page=2858}}{{cite journal | last1=Faria | first1=TC | last2=Nascimento | first2=C. C. H. C. | last3=Vasconcelos | first3=S. D. D. De | last4=Stephens | first4=P. R. S. | title=Literature Review on the Biological Effects of Taraxacum Officinale Plant In Therapy | journal=Asian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research and Development | publisher=Society of Pharmaceutical Tecnocrats | volume=7 | issue=3 | date=2019-06-14 | issn=2320-4850 | doi=10.22270/ajprd.v7i3.502 | pages=94–99| doi-access=free }} Latex containing sesquiterpene lactones are present in high concentrations in the main root and stems of the common dandelion.{{cite journal | last1=Gracz-Bernaciak | first1=Joanna | last2=Mazur | first2=Oliwia | last3=Nawrot | first3=Robert | title=Functional Studies of Plant Latex as a Rich Source of Bioactive Compounds: Focus on Proteins and Alkaloids | journal=International Journal of Molecular Sciences | volume=22 | issue=22 | date=2021-11-17 | issn=1422-0067 | doi=10.3390/ijms222212427 | doi-access=free | page=12427| pmid=34830309 | pmc=8620047 }}{{cite journal | last1=Huber | first1=Meret | last2=Triebwasser-Freese | first2=Daniella | last3=Reichelt | first3=Michael | last4=Heiling | first4=Sven | last5=Paetz | first5=Christian | last6=Chandran | first6=Jima N. | last7=Bartram | first7=Stefan | last8=Schneider | first8=Bernd | last9=Gershenzon | first9=Jonathan | last10=Erb | first10=Matthias | title=Identification, quantification, spatiotemporal distribution and genetic variation of major latex secondary metabolites in the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale agg.) | journal=Phytochemistry | volume=115 | date=2015 | doi=10.1016/j.phytochem.2015.01.003 | pages=89–98| pmid=25682510 | bibcode=2015PChem.115...89H }} However, only a few researchers have mentioned the possible risk of mild allergic contact dermatitis for people with lactone hypersensitivity.{{cite journal | last1=Bekhaled | first1=Imene | last2=Benalia | first2=Abdelkrim | last3=Mehida | first3=Hayet | last4=Meziani | first4=Samira | last5=Tarfaoui | first5=Luiza | last6=Djjebar | first6=Ahmed Abdelhamid | last7=Mai | first7=Abdesslam Hicham | last8=Bensaid | first8=Illias | last9=Demmouche | first9=Abassia | title=Evaluation of the Acute Toxicity of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) Roots | journal=Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics | volume=10 | issue=3 | date=2020-05-15 | issn=2250-1177 | doi=10.22270/jddt.v10i3.4093 | pages=159–163| doi-access=free }}{{cite journal | last1=Lovell | first1=C. R. | last2=Rowan | first2=M. | title=Dandelion dermatitis | journal=Contact Dermatitis | publisher=Wiley | volume=25 | issue=3 | year=1991 |pmid=1838315 | doi=10.1111/j.1600-0536.1991.tb01826.x | pages=185–188}}{{cite journal | last=Paulsen | first=Evy | title=Systemic allergic dermatitis caused by sesquiterpene lactones | journal=Contact Dermatitis | volume=76 | issue=1 | date=2017 |pmid=27568784 | doi=10.1111/cod.12671 | pages=1–10}}

Dandelion has been used in traditional medicine in Europe, North America, and China.{{cite journal |author1=Katrin Schütz, Reinhold Carle |author2=Andreas Schieber |year=2006 |title=Taraxacum—a review on its phytochemical and pharmacological profile |journal=Journal of Ethnopharmacology |volume=107 |issue=3 |pages=313–323 |doi=10.1016/j.jep.2006.07.021 |pmid=16950583}}

File:Dandelion salad (51169197162).jpg eating a common dandelion]]

Dandelions do not depend on wildlife for distribution or pollination; however much of wildlife benefits from the abundance of the plant. Rabbits, wild turkeys, white-tailed deer, eastern chipmunks, bobwhite quail, and many species of bird will consume the seeds and foliage. Additionally, many insects will collect nectar from the flower, especially in early spring when there are very few other flowers in bloom.{{Cite web |title=Out My Backdoor: In Defense of Dandelions {{!}} Department Of Natural Resources Division |url=https://georgiawildlife.com/out-my-backdoor-defense-dandelions#~.text-Dandelions%20also%20show%20up%20in,before%20devouring%20the%20seeds%20themselves |access-date=2023-10-16 |website=georgiawildlife.com}}File:Eightyfivedandelion.JPG

Taraxacum seeds are an important food source for certain birds (linnets, Linaria spp.).{{cite journal|journal=Animal Science|year=2005|volume=81|issue=2|pages=199–203|title=The influence of livestock management on habitat quality for farmland birds|author1=D. L. Buckingham|author2=W. J. Peach|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/231889475|doi=10.1079/ASC50700199}}

{{main|Nectar}}

Szabo studied nectar secretion in a dandelion patch over two years ({{convert|59.2 and 8.9|/m2||adj=pre|flowers }} in 1981 and 1982). He measured average nectar volume at 7.4 μl/flower in 1981 and 3.7 μl/flower in 1982. The flowers tended to open in the morning and close in the afternoon with the concentrations significantly higher on the second day.{{cite journal | last1=Stewart-Wade | first1=S. M. | last2=Neumann | first2=S. | last3=Collins | first3=L. L. | last4=Boland | first4=G. J. | title=The biology of Canadian weeds. 117. Taraxacum officinale G. H. Weber ex Wiggers | journal=Canadian Journal of Plant Science | publisher=Canadian Science Publishing | volume=82 | issue=4 | date=2002-10-01 | issn=0008-4220 | doi=10.4141/p01-010 | pages=825–853 | s2cid=85676502}}

Dandelions are used as food plants by the larvae of some species of Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths).

File:Korni oduvana.jpg

Dandelions can cause significant economic damage as an invasive species and infestation of other crops worldwide; in some jurisdictions, the species T. officinale is listed as a noxious weed.{{Cite journal|last=Richardson|first=J.|date=1985 |title=In praise of the archenemy |url=http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=US19860037837|journal=Audubon|pages=37–39|issn=0097-7136}} It can also be considered invasive in protected areas such as national parks. For example, Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska lists Taraxacum officinale as the most common invasive species in the park [https://www.nps.gov/dena/learn/nature/nonnativespecies.htm Non native species] National Park Service and hosts an annual "Dandelion Demolition" event where volunteers are trained to remove the plant from the park's roadsides.Love, Colleen Coulon [https://ktna.org/2021/06/denalis-dandelion-demolition-returns-after-2020-hiatus/#:~:text=There%20are%20two%20species%20of,and%20choke%20out%20native%20plants. Denali’s Dandelion Demolition returns after 2020 hiatus] KTNA, June 17, 2021

{{main|Beneficial weed}}

With a wide range of uses, the dandelion is cultivated in small gardens to massive farms. It is kept as a companion plant; its taproot brings up nutrients for shallow-rooting plants. It is also known to attract pollinating insects and release ethylene gas, which helps fruit to ripen.{{cite web|url=http://www.countryfarm-lifestyles.com/companion-planting.html|title=Companion Planting for Vegetables & Plants|last=Anon|work=Country living and farm lifestyles|publisher=countryfarm-lifestyles.com|access-date=2011-03-07}}

It has been a Western tradition for someone to blow out a dandelion seedhead and think of a wish they want to come true.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9LD3iHpi5ZMC&q=blowing+a+dandelion+out+tradition+luck&pg=PP23 |title=Wish: wishing traditions around the world |isbn=9780811857161 |via=Google Books|last1=Thong |first1=Roseanne |date=September 2008 |publisher=Chronicle Books }}

Five dandelion flowers are the emblem of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.{{cite web |url=http://www.wssmainstreet.org/ |title=Welcome to Main Street White Sulphur Springs...Make it home |publisher=Wssmainstreet.org |access-date=2010-07-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100604002704/http://www.wssmainstreet.org/ |archive-date=4 June 2010 |url-status=usurped}} The citizens celebrate spring with an annual Dandelion Festival.{{cite web|url=https://www.wvnstv.com/news/local-news/white-sulphur-springs-hosts-west-virginia-dandelion-festival/|title=White Sulphur Springs hosts West Virginia Dandelion Festival |publisher=Nexstar Media Inc. |date=2023-05-27 |access-date=2024-04-16}}

The dandelion is the official flower of the University of Rochester in New York State, and "Dandelion Yellow" is one of the school's official colours. "The Dandelion Yellow" is an official University of Rochester song.{{cite web|url=http://www.lib.rochester.edu/index.cfm?PAGE=1816#dand |title=Songs of the University of Rochester |publisher=Lib.rochester.edu |date=2010-01-14 |access-date=2010-07-03}}

The ability of dandelion seeds to travel as far as a kilometre in dry, windy and warm conditions, has been an inspiration for designing light-weight passive drones.

In 2018, researchers discovered that dandelion seeds have a separated vortex ring. This work provided evidence that dandelion seeds have fluid behavior around fluid-immersed bodies that may help understand locomotion, weight reduction and particle retention in biological and man-made structures.

In 2022, researchers at the University of Washington demonstrated battery-free wireless sensors and computers that mimic dandelion seeds and can float in the wind and disperse across a large area.{{Cite journal |last1=Iyer |first1=Vikram |last2=Gaensbauer |first2=Hans |last3=Daniel |first3=Thomas L. |last4=Gollakota |first4=Shyamnath |date=2022-03-17 |title=Wind dispersal of battery-free wireless devices |url=https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-04363-9 |journal=Nature |volume=603 |issue=7901 |pages=427–433 |doi=10.1038/s41586-021-04363-9|pmid=35296847 |bibcode=2022Natur.603..427I |s2cid=247499662 }}

{{see also|Taraxacum kok-saghyz#Rubber}}

Dandelions secrete latex when the tissues are cut or broken, yet in the wild type, the latex content is low and varies greatly. Taraxacum kok-saghyz, the Russian dandelion, is a species that produced industrially useful amounts during WW2. Using modern cultivation methods and optimisation techniques, scientists in the Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME) in Germany developed a cultivar of the Russian dandelion that is suitable for current commercial production of natural rubber. The latex produced exhibits the same quality as the natural rubber from rubber trees.{{cite web|title=Making Rubber from Dandelion Juice|url=https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/10/131028114547.htm|work=Science Daily|date=28 October 2013|access-date=22 November 2013}} In collaboration with Continental AG, IME is building a pilot facility. {{As of|2014|5}}, the first prototype test tyres made with blends from dandelion-rubber are scheduled for testing on public roads over the next few years.{{cite web|title=Fraunhofer and Continental come together when the dandelion rubber meets the road|url=http://www.fraunhofer.de/en/press/research-news/2013/oktober/fraunhofer-and-continental-come-together-when-the-dandelion-rubber-meets-the-road.html|date=14 October 2013|access-date=14 December 2016}} In December 2017, Linglong Group Co. Ltd., a Chinese company, invested $450 million into making commercially viable rubber from dandelions.{{Cite web|url=http://www.rubbernews.com/article/20171220/NEWS/171229996/linglong-to-fund-research-into-dandelion-rubber|title=Linglong to fund research into dandelion rubber {{!}} Rubber and Plastics News|date=20 December 2017}}

{{Notelist}}

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Taraxacum|Taraxacum}}

{{Cookbook|Dandelion}}

• {{Cite news |last1=Frail |first1=F. S. |title=Unloved in bloom, unwelcomed in summer: Weeding through the lore of the dandelion |url=https://archive.org/details/sim_boston-phoenix_1981-06-23_10_25/page/n240/mode/1up |access-date=3 April 2024 |work=The Boston Phoenix |date=23 June 1981}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q30024}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Asteraceae genera

Category:Extant Miocene first appearances

Category:Herbs

Category:Leaf vegetables

Category:Medicinal plants

Category:Melliferous flowers

Category:Plants used in traditional Native American medicine