Dandelion appearance, dandelion pictures

1. Appearance

1. Leaves: The leaves are obovate-lanceolate, oblanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, mostly between 4-20cm in length and about 1-5cm in width. The leaf tip is obtuse or acute, and the margins have different shapes such as wavy teeth, pinnate lobes, inverted pinnate lobes or large-headed pinnate lobes. The petioles and main veins are often reddish purple, and the surface is covered with spider-like white soft hairs or is almost hairless.

2. Flowers: The flowers are head-shaped inflorescences with a diameter of about 30-40 mm. The corolla is bell-shaped, about 12-14 mm long and light green in color. There are 1 or several scapes, which are as long as or slightly longer than the leaves and 10-25 cm high. The flowers are bright yellow in color and are surrounded by green stems. The flowering period is from April to September, and the flowering time can last for 1-2 months. After the flowers of the plant mature, seeds will grow. The seeds have umbrella-shaped small white hairs and are very beautiful in appearance. When the wind blows, it will separate from the plant, then float away with the wind, and after falling to the ground, it can grow and reproduce.

3. Fruit: Achenes will be produced from May to October. They are obovate-lanceolate in shape and dark brown in color. It is about 4-5 mm long and 1-1.5 mm wide. When the root of dandelion is broken, milky white juice will flow out. It tastes bitter, but has the effects of clearing away heat and fire, protecting the liver and promoting diuresis.