DANDELION.
Taraxacum taraxacum (L.) Karst. (Taraxacum officinale Weber.)
Fig. 3.—Dandelion (Taraxacum taraxacum (L.) Karst). (An unusually fibrous root.)
Other common names.—Blow-ball, cankerwort, doon-head-clock, fortune-teller, horse gowan, Irish daisy, yellow gowan, one o’clock. (Fig. 3.)
Range and habitat.—Dandelion is distributed as a weed in all civilized parts of the world, and in this country is naturalized from Europe. With the exception of the South, it is very abundant throughout the United States in fields and waste places, and it is especially troublesome in lawns and meadows.
Fig. 4.—Dandelion root, 16 inches long.
Description.—The dandelion is so well known a weed, especially in lawns, that it scarcely requires a description, almost everyone being familiar with its rosette of coarsely toothed leaves, golden-yellow flowers, and round fluffy seed heads. It is a perennial plant of the chicory family (Cichoriaceæ), and it may be said to be in flower throughout almost the entire year. In spring the young leaves are collected and used for greens or salad, but the part employed in medicine is the root. The flowering stem of the dandelion is usually longer than the smooth, shining green, coarsely toothed leaves, reaching a height of from 5 to 10 inches. It is erect, smooth, naked, and hollow, bearing at the summit a solitary yellow flower head, which opens in the morning and only in fair weather. The entire plant contains a white, milky juice.
Part used.—As already stated, the root of dandelion is used medicinally. It is a large taproot, sometimes 20 inches long, thick and fleshy, dull-yellow or brownish on the outside, white inside, practically without odor, and bitter. (Fig. 4.) Dandelion is often used as a tonic in diseases of the liver and in dyspepsia.
The best time for digging dandelion root is from July to September, during which time the milky juice becomes thicker and the bitterness increases. It should be carefully washed and thoroughly dried. Dandelion roots decrease considerably in size by drying, weighing less than half as much as the fresh roots and becoming wrinkled lengthwise. The dried root should not be kept too long, as drying diminishes its medicinal virtues.
Imports and prices.—During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1903, the imports of taraxacum or dandelion root into the United States amounted to 115,522 pounds. The price per pound ranges from 4 to 6 cents.