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Thursday, April 9, 2009

Dandelion-Taraxacum officinale

You've probably recognize this common flower, maybe you even have it in your own yard. The common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is originally from Eurasia but is now found all over the world. It is in the Sunflower Family (Asteraceae).

Some neat things about dandelions:
  • The milky sap can reportedly be used to ward off mosquitoes;
  • Other names include blowball, puffball, and lion's tooth;
  • Each flower can produce 54-172 seeds;
  • Dandelion flowers can be used to make dandelion wine; and
  • Dandelion leaves can be used fresh or cooked in salads or soups.
For more information, check out this link.

1 comment:

Sarah said...

Great new blog! 'Cause one daily blog isn't enough with an almost two year old ;).

I've tried sauteed dandelion flower heads, and they were, unfortunately, rather tasteless. But our local Meijer's sometimes carries dandelion greens in the produce section.