COMMON DANDELION, Taraxacum
officinale Weber. 1, plant in flower; 2, single ray
flower; 3, seed. Perennial, reproducing by seed. Root
thick, fleshy, often with branches. New sprouts can come from roots or
root segments. Stem never elongates but produces a rosette of leaves.
Leaves simple, variously lobed, 3 to 10 inches (7.5 to 25 cm) long,
containing a milky juice, arising from a crown at or slightly below the
surface of the ground. Flower heads 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to
5 cm) in diameter, of yellow ray flowers, borne on a long, bare, hollow
stalk. Seed tannish, about 3/16 inch (4.5 mm) long, elongated, with
a slender tip bearing a tuft of hairs that are easily broken off. One variety
has reddish-brown seeds. Found in lawns, meadows, gardens, and waste
places.