Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale

Common Name: Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale, more commonly known as Dandelion, is a hairless or sparsely hairy plant, which can grow up to 60cm in height. Leaves form a basal rosette with very uneven teeth, very rarely entire. Flowerheads are solitary on the end of a long leafless stem, and are composed of ray florets only. Involucre of small spreading scales on the outside and longer appressed narrow scales on the inside.

The well-known Dandelion 'clock' is composed of many individual fruits, each with a long beak and an umbrella-shaped feathery pappus. Flowering season is April to December. Usual habitat is wasteground, hedgerows, roadside verges, meadows, gardens and parks. Widespread and very common throught the UK.

https://www.uknature.co.uk is a website dedicated to showing the immense diversity of UK nature and wildlife. Our vast range of habitats, from lowland arable to snow covered mountains, from storm-ravaged coastlines to peaceful inland freshwater lakes and rivers, from dry, sandy heaths to deciduous and coniferous forests, all these habitats contribute to the abundance of UK nature. We have wild birds in huge numbers either residing or visiting our shores (597 recorded species as at July 2013) and we must also not forget the humble back garden with its grass lawns, flower beds filled with nectar rich flowers, shrubs and trees, all designed to attract huge numbers of insects such as bees, moths, butterflies and hoverflies; and finally the small ponds which provide safe havens for frogs, toads, newts and even slow worms and grass snakes. www.uknature.co.uk is the showcase for my personal passion, photographing uknature in all its glory. I sincerely hope you all enjoy the fruits of my labours.