Home | > | List of families | > | Asteraceae | > | Taraxacum | > | sp. |
Synonyms: | |
Common names: | Dandelion (English) |
Frequency: | |
Status: | Introduced |
Description: |
Scapes 1-40 cm, stout. Basal leaves: lamina 5-11 × 1.5-3.5 cm, oblanceolate in outline, dentate to runcinate-pinnatifid, glabrous or ± pubescent. Capitula solitary, terminal. Involucre up to c.15 × 9 mm. Phyllaries: inner up to 14 mm, linear-lanceolate with a scarious margin; outer shorter. Corolla yellow. Achenes 2.5-3 mm, pale to dark brown, oblanceolate in outline, 10-14-ribbed, antrorsely muricate or echinate above with an apical beak, 4-7 mm. Pappus setae 4-6 mm. |
Notes: | The genus is here treated as one variable aggregate species. However, many hundreds of microspecies, which mostly arise from the apomictic method of reproduction, have been described. It is not known which of these occur in Malawi. |
Derivation of specific name: | |
Habitat: | Lawns, playing fields and on roadsides, preferring areas which are watered during the winter. |
Altitude range: | |
Flowering time: | Sep - Apr |
Worldwide distribution: | Native of the northern hemisphere but also occurring in Australia, and South America. |
Malawi distribution: | N |
Growth form(s): | |
Endemic status: | |
Red data list status: | |
Insects associated with this species: | |
Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
Content last updated: | Sunday 30 September 2018 |
Literature: |
Chapano, C. & Mugarisanwa, N.H. (2003). Plants of the Matobo District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 34. As Taraxacum officinale Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 28. as Taraxacum officinale sensu lato Pope, G.V. (1992). Compositae Flora Zambesiaca 6(1) Pages 212 - 214. (Includes a picture). |
Home | > | List of families | > | Asteraceae | > | Taraxacum | > | sp. |