Dandelion

Poem


   Little golden flower how can I now your power your little tiny golden pedals turn to fluffy seeds that blow away in the soft breeze.

Azlyn Davis.      



I found the dandelion outside in my back yard.

I thought the dandelion was a weed but it's not it is a medicine.


I found this info at coulombia.edu

Identification: Dandelion derives its name from the french term ‘dent de lion’ meaning ‘tooth of the lion’. Dandelions are perennial, herbaceous plants that grow best in moist, sunny areas found in all parts of the northern temperate zone.  The plant grows year round but goes dormant in areas that experience a cold winter.  The dandelion taproot, thick, sturdy and dark brown, can penetrate the soil up to 10 to 15 feet.  The buds grow from the uppermost area of the root where a tight crown is formed.  Here additional plants can grow even if the root has been cut into the soil and is only one inch in length. Leaves, shiny and hairless, are 3 to 12 inches long and ½ to 2 ½ inches wide and always form a basal rosette shape, meaning they all branch out from the center. They resemble canine teeth pointing upright or backwards.  The flowering stalk can reach lengths from 6 to 24 inches.  The head contains 100 to 300 ray flowers and when cut off, a bitter, milky substance leaks out from the stem. Beneath the floret of bright golden yellow, five tiny petals sit above a tube filled with an abundance of nectar. 

Original Distribution: Though the dandelion has been carried from place to place since before written history, it can at least be said that the plant is native to Europe and Asia. The earliest recordings can be found in Roman times and use has been noted by the Anglo Saxon tribes of Britain and the Normans of France. In the tenth and eleventh centuries there is mention of dandelions used for medicinal purposes in the works of Arabian physicians. 

Current Distribution: Dandelions have been established in the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand amongst many other temperate regions such as Austria, Italy, Poland, and Turkey and throughout the United States. India, for example has largely cultivated the plant to use as a remedy for liver problems. 

Dandelions can grow just about anywhere, namely fields, lawns, forests, gardens or even wastelands.  They tend to grow more in areas laden with sunlight rather than under trees or shady spots.  The plant can be found more commonly in disturbed areas such as an avalanche site, a burned forest and marshlands to name a few and anywhere from sea level to high alpine elevations.

Site and Date of Introduction: Dandelions have spread throughout the northern hemisphere for so long that it is difficult to determine their nonnative status.  It has been noted however, that the Puritans found dandelions to be so useful that they brought them to settle in the new county.