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DANDELION
(Taraxacum officinale)
wild endive, lion's tooth
Description:
Scape coming from a long, thick taproot. Each stem with single
flower head or seed head. Flower is bright yellow, often striped
with brown followed by balls of white tufted seeds. Leaves, thin,
deep green, coarsely toothed in a basal rosette. Found in open
fields, roadsides and lawns.
EDIBLE,
MEDICINAL: Young leaves, gathered before flowers appear, added
to salads or boiled, 5-10 min., blanched part just below soil
best while still tucked down in the rosette of leaves. Young flower
buds, boiled several minutes or pickled. Flowers good when dipped
in batter and fried. Roots eaten raw in salads, stew, roasted,
used as substitute for coffee. Root reduces inflammation, liver
stimulant, jaundice, gallstones, rheumatic joints. Leaves used
in urinary disorders, water retention, acne, eczema.
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