Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia

The Common Dandelion (Taraxacum sect. Ruderalia) represents a group of very similar and closely related plant species in the genus dandelion (Taraxacum) of the family Asteraceae (Asteraceae) dar. Most of these plants are referred to simply as dandelions.

The dandelion is a perennial herbaceous plant, the plant height reaches 10-30 cm, and contains a white latex in all parts. He is up to 1 m (rarely to 2 m) long, fleshy tap root out dark brown to black. She goes into a short, strong swaged rung axis over where the leaves are dense in a basal rosette. After an injury to the growing point, the plant will regenerate from the root and is then usually several leaf rosettes. The 10-30 cm long leaves are ovate to eilanzettlich, irregularly lobed and deeply incised and heavily serrated. Notches and teeth are of the strong base to about two thirds of the length, on to the leaf tip often less pronounced.

The leaf axils arise usually several, up to 60 cm long peduncles. Everyone is a leafless, low-felted outside, hollow tube. At its upper end, there are densely distributed spirally 30-40 protruding bracts, which dry out soon. In a whorl of bracts at first a complete coverage forms around the inflorescence bud. The bracts open and close with protecting the inflorescence and remain up to fruit ripening green. The inflorescence is a fake flower in which many yellow ray florets are grouped into a plate-shaped basket of about 3-5 cm in diameter. In it, the single ring-shaped flowers open from the outside to the inside. In the several days-long flowering period, the inflorescence closes each night, rain or drought, and finally while fading. After several days, the bracts open the last time at fruit maturity and at first dismissed the dried flowers and shells cast off the ray florets. The fruits, slim barrel, with a hairy flight screens (Pappus) equipped achenes, are spread by the wind (screen plane). The head occupied with the fruits of the inflorescence, the famous "Dandelion" is.

In Central Europe is the main flowering period from April to May At a significantly lower number of flowers even appear until the autumn.

Because some features are very plastic, the individual plants can greatly customize the specific sites. Sun plants produce long in undisturbed sites, held obliquely erect leaves and up to 50 cm long, erect Blütenstandstiele. Crops on paths or committed other hand, have frequently mown meadows much shorter, dense leaves and the ground lying prostrate, sometimes only a few millimeters long Blütenstandstiele.

Source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gew%C3%B6hnlicher_L%C3%B6wenzahn
See Also: international flower delivery, florist