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Taraxacum kok-saghyz
  • Rubber Dandelion

a perennial member of the Taraxacum genus in the family Compositae.

Niche
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The ecosystem niches for this plant are unknown. Do you know them? Click the edit button to add them!
Functions
  • None
    None
    There are no functions defined for this plant. Do you know of some? Click the edit button to add them!
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • light shade
    Light shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
    Acid to Very alkaline
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Clay
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • ?
    Unknown
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210
Taraxacum kok-saghyz has 0 edible uses listed
Taraxacum kok-saghyz has 0 material uses listed

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

Leaves - raw or cooked[K].

The following uses are also probably applicable to this species, though we have no records for them[K]: Root - cooked[1]. Flowers - raw or cooked[1]. The unopened flower buds can be used in fritters[1]. The whole plant is dried and used as a tea[2][1]. A pleasant tea is made from the flowers. The leaves and the roots can also be used to make tea.

The root is dried and roasted to make a coffee substitute.

Roots

Coffee
Tea

Flowers

Salad
Tea

Leaves

Salad

Material uses

The root is a source of a high quality latex, used in making rubber[3][4][5][6]. Yields between 150 and 500 kilos per hectare are possible[6][7]. The roots are harvested in the autumn, before any hard frosts which can destroy some of the latex. They are then macerated to extract the latex. The root is rich in the starch inulin. After the latex has been extracted, this inulin can be converted to alcohol and used as a fuel.

Roots

Ethanol
Latex

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Taraxacum kok-saghyz.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Nothing listed.

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

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, though 2 weeks cold stratification may improve germination. 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.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Taraxacum kok-saghyz. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.



Cultivation

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil[3] but prefers a well-drained moisture retentive humus-rich soil in full sun or light shade[6]. Prefers a pH between 5.5 and 8.5[6]. Dislikes very heavy or compacted soils[6].

Top growth of seedlings is very slow at first until the root has developed[6]. It is advantageous to mark out the rows with a catch crop such as radishes or lettuce[6]. This plant used to be grown commercially in Russia as a rubber producing plant. It was trialed in various countries during the second world war and was found to yield a commercial harvest in Britain, Scandinavia and Northern N. America. In a trial in N. America plants grew better in the northern U.S.A. and S. Canada than they did in the south of the USA[8]. With the advent of cheap artificial rubber interest in this plant dwindled.

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.

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Taraxacum kok-saghyz. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Taraxacum kok-saghyz.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Taraxacum kok-saghyz
Genus
Taraxacum
Family
Compositae
Imported References
Edible uses
[1][2]
Medicinal uses
Material uses & Functions
[3][4][5][6][7]
Botanic
[9]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
None listed.
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
?
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
light shade
Soil PH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil Water Retention
well drained
Environmental Tolerances
    Ecosystems
    Native Climate Zones
    None listed.
    Adapted Climate Zones
    None listed.
    Native Geographical Range
    None listed.
    Native Environment
    None listed.
    Ecosystem Niche
    None listed.
    Root Zone Tendancy
    None listed.
    Life
    Deciduous or Evergreen
    ?
    Herbaceous or Woody
    ?
    Life Cycle
    perennial
    Growth Rate
    ?
    Mature Size
    0.25 x 0.25
    Fertility
    self fertile
    Pollinators
    ?
    Flower Colour
    ?
    Flower Type
    hermaphrodite











    References

    1. ? 1.01.11.21.31.4 Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (32202/01/01)
    2. ? 2.02.1 Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (32202/01/01)
    3. ? 3.03.13.2 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (32202/01/01)
    4. ? 4.04.1 Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim (32202/01/01)
    5. ? 5.05.1 Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable ISBN 0094579202 (32202/01/01)
    6. ? 6.06.16.26.36.46.56.66.7 Polhamus. L. G. Rubber: Botany, Cultivation and Utilization. ()
    7. ? 7.07.1 Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press (32202/01/01)
    8. ? Carruthers. S. P. (Editor) Alternative Enterprises for Agriculture in the UK. Centre for Agricultural Strategy, Univ. of Reading ISBN 0704909820 (32202/01/01)
    9. ? ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press (32202/01/01)




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    Facts about "Taraxacum kok-saghyz"RDF feed
    Article is incompleteNo +
    Article requires citationsNo +
    Article requires cleanupNo +
    Belongs to familyCompositae +
    Belongs to genusTaraxacum +
    Has common nameRubber Dandelion +
    Has drought toleranceIntolerant +
    Has edible partRoots +, Flowers + and Leaves +
    Has edible useCoffee substitute +, Salad + and Tea +
    Has fertility typeSelf fertile +
    Has flowers of typeHermaphrodite +
    Has lifecycle typePerennial +
    Has material partRoots +
    Has material useEthanol + and Latex +
    Has mature height0.25 +
    Has mature width0.25 +
    Has search nametaraxacum kok-saghyz + and x +
    Has seed requiring scarificationNo +
    Has seed requiring stratificationNo +
    Has shade toleranceLight shade +
    Has soil ph preferenceAcid +, Neutral +, Alkaline + and Very alkaline +
    Has soil teclayture preferenceClay +
    Has soil teloamyture preferenceLoamy +
    Has soil tesandyture preferenceSandy +
    Has soil water retention preferenceWell drained +
    Has sun preferenceFull sun +
    Has taxonomy nameTaraxacum kok-saghyz +
    Has water requirementsmoderate +
    Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
    Tolerates air pollutionNo +
    Tolerates maritime exposureNo +
    Tolerates nutritionally poor soilNo +
    Tolerates windNo +