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LATIN NAME: Taraxacum Officinale
FAMILY: Asteraceae
PARTS USED: Roots, leaves, juice
BOTANICAL INFORMATION:
Dandelion is a perennial herb belonging to the family Asteraceae, or Compositae. Stable and enduring, feels great on any soil. Dandelion reaches 50 cm in height, has a thick main root (up to 2 cm and even more in diameter, up to 50 cm long). Taraxacum officinale leaves are runcinate, pinnatiparite and dentate. They are 10-20 cm long, 1-5 cm wide and assembled in a heart. Flower-bearing arrow is juicy, cylindrical, hollow inside and ends in a single flower basket. Flowers are yellow and sit on a flat phoranthium. Every part of the plant has a thick white milky juice which has a bitter taste. Ripe seeds are supplied with an appendage in the form of a parachute, due to which they fly away over fairly long distances. Dandelion blooms in April-June.
DISTRIBUTION AREA:
It was brought to America as a food crop. Now it is assimilated throughout Southern Africa, North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, India. It can be found in all 50 states and most Canadian provinces.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION:
This little flower contains a great variety of vitamins, minerals and other useful substances, such as : flavoxanthin, sugars, taraxacin, saponin, choline(B4), vitamin A, thiamine(B1), riboflavin(B2), niacin(B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), folate (B9), cyanocobalamine (B12), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, taraxacerin, inosite, protein, phenylacetic acid, oleinic acid, palmic acid, melissic acid, linoleic acid, beta-amyrin.
HEALTH RECIPES:
DECOCTION FROM DANDELION: Pour 400 ml boiling water over 30 g (3 Tbsp) of dry roots, simmer for 10-13 minutes, cool at room temperature, and then filter. Take 1 glass 2 times a day half an hour before meals.
INFUSION FROM DANDELION: Pour 250 ml boiling water over 5 g fresh or 2 g dried dendelion flowers, leave for 2 hours, filter and press the remaining material. Wipe the skin with the infusion.
INTERESTING FACTS:
- The French grow dandelion as a garden crop. The plant is widely used for making salads.
The dandelion does not stop growing because it is told it is a weed. The dandelion does not care what others see. It says, “One day, they’ll be making wishes upon me.
B Atkinson
*This article is for informational purposes only. We suggest consulting with a physician before using these or any other herbal supplements
