Family: Asteraceae (Composite)
Other names: Blowball, Lion's tooth, Pissenlit
Name meaning: Dandelion comes from the French dent de lion, lion's tooth, referring to the shape of the lobes on the leaves. Taraxacum may derive from the Greek words taraxos, disorder, and akos, remedy, referring to its medicinal properties. Officinale means it is listed as an official medicinal plant.
Origin: Dandelion is native to Eurasia; in North America it is an extremely invasive alien species, growing in almost any conditions and difficult to get rid of. It was introduced intentionally by European settlers because of its medicinal properties.
Range: Found almost everywhere in the world, but most common in the Northern Hemisphere.
Habitat: Dandelion is found in almost every type of habitat excluding the most northern regions; you can probably find it on any block in America. However it is most common in waste places and disturbed soils.
Life cycle: Perennial
Description: The leaves have sharp, irregular lobes, sometimes reddish veins, and a usually pointed, sometimes rounded tip. The yellow flowerhead is broad and flat, with clusters of tiny yellow florets opening out to blunt-ended rays, with curved bracts under the flowerhead. The stem is hollow, light green with a hint of red, and filled with a milky juice. The seedhead is a round ball of fluffy white, easily blown off. Grows to 1.5 ft tall.
Similar species: There are many species in the Composite Family which resemble dandelion, such as sow thistle. Check a field guide such as Newcomb's for specifics on distinguishing these.

Uses

Edible: The young leaves of early spring, before the flowers appear, can be added to salads, or if too bitter, boiled in 1-2 changes of water as a cooked green. Sometimes removing the center vein of the leaves removes the bitterness. The flowerhead can be added to salads raw, fried in batter as fritters, or made into wine. The young flowerbuds can be boiled for several minutes and served with butter. The washed and scraped roots can be roasted in the oven until brown all the way through, ground, and used as a coffee substitute or stretcher.

Medicinal: The flowers are rich in vitamin A, and the leaves rich in vitamins A, B, and C, and potassium. The abundance of these vitamins in the leaves makes the young leaf tea a wonderful tonic for general health. The tonic is stronger with fresh leaves and weaker with dried, the weaker being used for stomach cramps, to ease digestion, and as a laxative. The root tea (made in the fashion described above) is used for liver, gallbladder, kidney, and bladder problems, for constipation, to aid digestion, and as a diuretic, and is thought to stimulate weight loss.

Utilitarian: The fluffy down of the seedhead can be used as tinder to start fires, and the whole plant produces a magenta dye.

Magical: There is an abundance of lore about divination using the seedheads, where the number of seeds left after blowing reveals different fates, the most common being the number of lovers or children in your future, or the number of years you have left. Having all the seeds fall off without wind predicts rain. Wishes are fullfilled if you manage to blow all the seeds off with one breath; some say that you must make your wish under the full moon. Placing a few dandelions in your wedding bouquet will ensure a prosperous marriage. The tea is reputed to grant psychic powers, and is used in spirit calling.

Warning: The milky sap can cause dermatitis in some people, especially those who are allergic to latex. Also be aware that plants harvested near roadsides can accumulate pollutants, particularly in the roots.

Where to find dandelion

Dandelion can be wildcrafted nearly anywhere—it's probably even safe harvesting it on private land since everyone hates it so much. I suggest offering to some dandelion-bedraggled lawntender that for a small fee you'll pull up all their dandelions. Overharvesting is fine—it's extremely invasive, and you're not likely to have any impact anyway. The best time to harvest the root is in the fall. The roasted roots can also be obtained from herbal suppliers like Frontier and many stores which carry bulk herbs. Alvita tea company sells roasted dandelion root tea, which can be found in some natural food stores. Some farmer's markets and natural food stores sell the young spring leaves.

Links

Wikipedia: Dandelion
Botanical.com: Dandelion
Plants for a Future: Taraxacum officinale
Wild Flowers of Minnesota's Iron Range: Dandelion, Common
Wildman Steve Brill's Wild Plants: Dandelion
Wildflowers of the Southeastern US: Dandelion, Common
King's American Dispensatory: Taraxacum
Nature's Herbal: Dandelion
HerbNET: C, D, E Herbs (scroll down to dandelion)
The Soul Element: Herbs
Herbs2000: Dandelion
Dandelion - Taraxacum officinale
An Illustrated Herbal: Dandelion
Capricorn's Lair: Dandelion
Winemaking: Dandelion Wines
National Dandelion Cookoff
USDA Plant Profile: Taraxacum officinale