Taraxacum officinale | |
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Common dandelion[1] | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Asterids |
Order: | Asterales |
Family: | Asteraceae |
Genus: | Taraxacum |
Species: | T. officinale
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Binomial name | |
Taraxacum officinale | |
Synonyms[4][5] | |
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Taraxacum officinale, the dandelion or common dandelion,[6] is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae. The common dandelion is well known for its yellow flower heads that turn into round balls of many silver-tufted fruits that disperse in the wind. These balls are called "clocks" in both British and American English.[7][8][9][10] The name "blowball" is also used.[11]
The common dandelion grows in temperate regions of the world in areas with moist soils. They are very hardy plants, able to grow in a variety of environments, and are tolerant of crowding, extremes of temperature, and low moisture.[12] As a result of this hardiness, in addition to its ability to rapidly propagate itself, the dandelion has become established over a wide range via human activity, originally being native to Eurasia, but can also be found across the Americas, southern Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand as a result of incidental or deliberate introductions.
It is most often considered a weed, especially in lawns and along roadsides, but the leaves, flowers, and roots are sometimes used as food and in herbal medicine.
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