TARAXACUM MINIMUM

Family:- COMPOSITAE/Sect. Scariosa/T. bithynicum group.

Common Names:- None

Synonyms:- Leontodon minimus.

Meaning:- Taraxacum. Disturber (from the Arabic name, tarakhshagog, or

talkhchakok, for a bitter herb) Namely dandelion.

Minimum. (L) Least, smallest.

General description:- Perennial herbs with a tap-root.

Leaves:-

1) Densely and shortly lobed, the lobes triangular, short and obtuse, sub-entire. ±

deflexed, shortly dentate, petiole, broadly winged.

Flowers:-

1) Capitula relatively small (up to 30 mm wide).

2) Outer phyllaries (bracts surrounding the capitulum) erect, with broad thin

scarious margins.

3) Florets more than 25.

4) Ligules pale to bright yellow above, pinkish or carmine beneath.

5) Stigmas yellow.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes (incl cone) 3-3.5 mm, straw-coloured, spinulose, towards the apex,

cone short; beak 6-8 mm, rather stout.

Key features:-

1) Leaf lobes,short and obtuse, sub-entire.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Rocky slopes with dry open shrubby vegetation and open woodland,

meadows and dolines in the mountains. 200-2000 m.

Distribution:- Scattered throughout mainland Greece, but many records uncertain.

S. Europe, Anatolia and W Syria. Somewhat scattered distribution across Crete.

Flowering time:- Apr-June and again Oct-Nov.

Photos by:- Zacharias Angourakis