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Common Name: Red-Seed Dandelion

General Information

Taraxacum laevigatum is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.20 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Most of Europe, including Britain.

Habitat

Dry pastures on sandy or calcareous soils, heaths, waste ground, walls etc[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.20 m
Pollinators	Apomictic
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a well-drained humus-rich soil in full sun or light shade.
Many species in this genus produce their seed apomictically. This is an asexual method of seed production where each seed is genetically identical to the parent plant. Occasionally seed is produced sexually, the resulting seedlings are somewhat different to the parent plants and if these plants are sufficiently distinct from the parents and then produce apomictic seedlings these seedlings are, in theory at least, a new species.

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[].

The following uses are also probably applicable to this species, though we have no records for them[]

Root - cooked[].
Flowers - raw or cooked[]. The unopened flower buds can be used in fritters[].
The whole plant is dried and used as a tea[, ].
A pleasant tea is made from the flowers. The leaves and the roots can also be used to make tea.
The root is dried and roasted to make a coffee substitute.

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and either surface-sow or only just cover the seed. Make sure the compost does not dry out. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, choosing relatively deep pots to accommodate the tap root. Plant them out in early summer.
Division in early spring as the plant comes into growth.