Fruits & Vegetables Week: Taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion

[Gurcharan Singh]

Taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion, very common in the Himalayan region often found in meadows and forests. In India leaves are used as vegetable only by local people, but dandelion leaves are sold in big stores of California and relished by residents.

--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

[tanay bose]

I have seen this plant frowing as weed around vancouver

tanay

--

Tanay Bose

Research Assistant & Teaching Assistant.
Department of Botany.
University of British Columbia .
3529-6270 University Blvd.
Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 (Canada)
Phone: 778-323-4036 (Mobile)

           604-822-2019 (Lab)

           604-822-6089  (Fax)

ta...@interchange.ubc.ca

Webpages: 

http://www.botany.ubc.ca/people/mberbee.html

http://www.botany.ubc.ca/people/gradstud.html

https://sites.google.com/site/efloraofindia/

[mani nair]

Gurcharan ji, Nice photos of the flowers and plant.  I have seen these plant on the way to Gulmarg.  We used to blow on the dried flower heads to see the seeds flying in wind.

Regards,

Mani.

[Gurcharan Singh]

Yes Mani ji

This was a a regular pastime in our childhood. We would hold the achene head carefully so that it remains instact, then ask the friend whether he wants a turban or a cap. If he would ask for a turban we would blow it gently so that only a few achenes fall out and the heads has many achenes forming a turban. If the friend asked for a cap, we would blow it strongly so that all achenes fall off and cap like naked head is visible.

 

--
Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

[mani nair]

Thanks Gurcharan ji.   I located my photos.  Here are two.

Regards,

Mani.