Taraxacum albidum
a perennial member of the Taraxacum genus in the family Compositae.
Taxonomy and growth
- Family
- Compositae
- Genus
- Taraxacum
- Life cycle
- perennial
- Height
- 0.35 m
- Fertility
- Self fertile, Insects
- Flower type
- hermaphrodite
- Pollinators
- Insects
Uses
Edible uses
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Leaves - raw or cooked[1][2]. A rather bitter flavour, though it is a good tonic for the digestive system. Root - cooked[2]. Flowers - raw or cooked[2]. The unopened flower buds can be used in fritters[2]. The whole plant is dried and used as a tea[1][2]. The root is dried and roasted to make a coffee substitute. A pleasant tea is made from the flowers. The leaves and the roots can also be used to make tea.
- Product or use
- Coffee
- Product or use
- Tea
- Plant part
- Flowers
- Plant part
- Leaves
- Plant part
- Root
Environment
- Range
- E. Asia - C. and S. Japan, Korea.
- Habitat
- Sunny ruderal habitats such as roadsides and cultivated fields at elevations below 500 metres[3].
- Light
- full sun
- Shade tolerance
- light shade
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- Zone 5+
- Soil textures
- sandy, loamy, clay
- Soil pH
- acid, neutral, alkaline
- Drainage
- well drained
- Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
- No
- Drought
- intolerant
Propagation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and either surface-sow or only just cover the seed. Make sure the compost does not dry out. Germination should take place within 2 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, choosing relatively deep pots to accommodate the tap root. Plant them out in early summer. Division in early spring as the plant comes into growth.
Cultivation
This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.
Prefers a well-drained humus-rich soil in full sun or light shade. Isozyme analysis suggests that this species is uniclonal and of unique hybrid origin between T. japonicum and an unknown tetraploid species[3]. Many species in this genus produce their seed apomictically. This is an asexual method of seed production where each seed is genetically identical to the parent plant. Occasionally seed is produced sexually, the resulting seedlings are somewhat different to the parent plants and if these plants are sufficiently distinct from the parents and then produce apomictic seedlings these seedlings are, in theory at least, a new species.
References
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Flora of Japan www.foj.info