IDENTIFICATION OF Taraxacum officinale Weber

Scientific name: Taraxacum officinale Weber

Italian common name: Dandelion – Dog’s tooth – Soffione (Showerhead) – Nonnino (Grandpa) – Wild chicory – Donkey chicory – Pork’s snout – Ingrassaporci (Pork fattener) – Brusaoci (Burn eyes) – Insalata di porci (Pork salad) – Pisciacane (Dog piss) – Lappa – Missinina – Piscialletto (Pee in bed) – Meadow sunflower – Grass del pig.

Family:Asteraceae

Origin: Central and Western Asia

Habit: Typical plant of temperate climates. In uncultivated fields and fertilized meadows throughout Italy. Widespread up to 2,000 meters. of altitude.

Evergreen or deciduous: Deciduous

VEGETABLE RECOGNITION OF Taraxacum officinale Weber

Height: 10 – 30 cm

Width (extension): 10 – 30 cm

Habit: Perennial herbaceous plant

Leaf: simple, oblong, lanceolate and lobed leaves with toothed margin arranged in a basal rosette, whole or divided with triangular lobes, petiolate.

Flower: 2-4 cm wide “flower head” with bracts folded back like a calyx enclosing the receptacle from which hundreds of small flowers emerge that make up the intense yellow flower;

Flowering: April – May but also until autumn

Fruit: set of fruits (achenes) with a feathery beak (the whole forms the so-called pappus) from which the popular name of “dandelion” as the dispersion takes place thanks to the wind

Properties: laxative, purifying, detoxifying, diuretic

Perfume: insignificant

NEED

Maintenance: none

Exposure to light: Sun, Partial shade

Soil type: it does not need particular soils, but prefers loose soil and open spaces

Soil acidity: indifferent

Italian climatic area: all

Water requirement: low

Diseases: mildew, mold, powdery mildew, downy mildew, rust and scab.

SPECIAL FEATURES

It seems that Taraxacum can be distinguished from 35 to 57 different species, one of which in South America and one in Australia, but that in Italy there is Taraxacum officinale Weber. (treccani.it)

In mythology, the Dandelion was born from the dust raised by the chariot of Helios, God of sunlight, indicating all the LIGHT – DARK ambivalence of the remedy.

It is said that Theseus only ate Dandelion for a month before his adventure with the Minotaur. Dandelion therefore symbolizes nourishment, courage and audacity.

According to an Irish legend, the fairies hid in the dandelion when men arrived. (agopunturablog.it)

Annotations

The official name Dandelion comes from the Greek tarakhḕ “disruption”, and àkos “remedy”: remedy for disturbance due to its ability to put the body back in order.

The dandelion or P’u-Kung-ying is used, in phytotherapy, in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a depurative capable of purifying the “Heat”, eliminating toxins and dispelling the nodules, with hepatic (hepatitis) and gastric tropism.

“[…] Even etymologically, the question remains open whether the remedy for disturbance is such because it reduces or causes it. A clear indication of the magical virtues of this plant.” (to know more)

Choleretic, cholagogue and diuretic properties. Excellent ally for digestive problems to regulate bile flow and to stimulate diuresis.

A French saying states that dandelion “purifies the renal filter and dries up the liver sponge”.

The leaves are also available in herbal medicine.

The name Dandelion comes from the clearly visible teeth of the leaf margins.

It is liked by bees who obtain a monofloral honey from it.

In the kitchen

The young leaves are harvested in spring to be used raw in salads. For soups, fillings and omelettes they are good cooked. The roasted root was used instead of coffee. The flower buds are preserved in oil or in brine where they can replace the capers.

The leaves and root contain many bioactive substances such as steroids, flavonoids, vitamins B1, B2, C and E etc. (for a list you can find everything here)