That old nemesis ... the Dandelion - Part 2

While most people refer to the dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, as a weed it has been used for varying purposes throughout history. From medicinal uses to added ingredients in salads and drinks. In French it is reportedly referred to as pissenlit, meaning "piss in bed", a reference to its diuretic properties used in herbal medicine. It's effectiveness as a diuretic is attributed to the high levels of potassium salts found in the plant and capable of replacing the potassium lost from the body when using the plant as a diuretic.

Other uses include utilizing the white latex sap from the plant in the treatment of warts and corns. Reportedly, daily applications can cause the wart to blacken and fall from the body. There have also been reports of antibacterial action from the plant effective against such bacteria as Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus dysenteriae. A tea made from the plant has been used as general tonic and also for treatment of kidney problems, gallstones, jaundice and urinary tract disorders.

The leaves have been used in salads. In the book Handbook of Chinese Herbs and Formulas, it is indictative that the plant is very nutritious , with 100g of the raw leaves containing about 2.7g. protein, 9.2g. carbohydrate, 187mg Calcium, 66mg phosphorus, 3.1mg iron, 76mg sodium, 397mg potassium, 36mg magnesium, 14000iu vitamin A, 0.19mg vitamin B1, 0.26mg vitamin B2, 35mg vitamin C.

The plant is known to produce seeds asexually by apomixis, where the seeds are produced without pollination, resulting in offspring that are genetically identical to the parent plant. This attributes to the plants successfully ability to populate an area quickly. It is also reported that due to production of ethylene gas it aids the plant by inhibiting plants close by to successfully flourish. The plant also disperses it seeds in the wind allowing the plant to propagate a large area successfully. This is a microscopic view of one seed with it's "parachute" attached.

So while this plant is rarely recognized as a desirable addition to the landscape it does remind us of the usefulness of all plants. The least desirable plants we encounter can be found to have once played important roles in many cultures. The plant is still one of the most important plants for bees by being one of the first pollen sources bees emerging from their winter survival and venturing out will find in the spring. While the use of these plants may have faded from the normal use in our culture today, with renewed research into the many components produced by plants through their normal life cycles, there may be new discoveries to help in the treatment of many ailments and diseases we experience.