Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale

Illustration: Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) rosette, flower, and puffball

Identification: Basal rosette of deeply toothed leaves ('lion's tooth'); hollow stems exuding white latex; single yellow composite flowers; white puffball seed heads. One flower per hollow stalk.

Dangerous look-alikes: Cat's-ear and sow thistle look similar and are also edible — no dangerous confusion. True dandelion never branches its flower stalk.

Edible parts: Leaves (spring greens), flowers, roots (see the dandelion-root tonic entry).

Season and habitat: Spring (greens/flowers); roots fall. Lawns, meadows, everywhere.

Preparation: Young leaves in salads (bitter — blanch to tame); flowers for wine and fritters; roots roasted for coffee substitute. Harvest away from sprayed lawns and roadsides.

Notes: Cross-reference: the root-as-tonic tradition is covered in Appendix A.