Flora Report (rough draft)

The Mountain Dandelion, also known as the Taraxacum officinale, is found in moist sites, including lawns, meadows, pastures, and overgrazed areas. It is often mistaken as a flower because it has bright yellow petals but, in fact, is a weed. The Dandelion is a perenial herb, meaning that it lives for more than two years, reproducing every spring. There is often one taproot up to several feet long that feed these daughter plants with milky juice and nutrients running all the way up to the head of the flower. The leaves of this organism are clusterd at the top of the root crown and can vary in size from 2- 12 inches long. The leaves are also pointed or blunt at the tips and have 5- 8 ridges on them. These leaves are also known as achenes and are 1/8 inches long. The tip of these achenes is known as the apex and ends in a long slender beak 2- 4 times as long as the leaf. It also has parachute like hairs at its apex. These parachute hairs are used for wind dispersal allowing the seeds to be carried for long distances. The Mountain Dandelion reproduces two different ways. They turn into a whitish ball of seeds and are carried off in the wind by the parachute hairs. Dandelions also reproduce by their roots that sprout out of the ground.

The Mountain Dandelion is native to Europe, but is now found worldwide. The main predators of this weed are sheep, cattle, and weed killer. Weeds are unpopular among humans for many different reasons, as they take up space, invading other producers’ niches, taking their nutrients and sunlight. This lowers the biodiversity of the area, perhaps changing the feeding habits of other herbivores. The presence of a Dandelion affects the area more than one would think. By its presence, the dandelion can benefit or hurt other organisms and there ecosystem. Dandelions can create new feeding habits for the consumer or destroying the habitats of others.