The Humble Dandelion

Some plants are so ubiquitous that we almost lose sight of them; we certainly take them for granted. A classic example of this is the humble Dandelion. Recorded from virtually every square kilometre of the British Isles, the ‘dandelion’ is actually a group of 229 very similar micro-species, adapted to a wide range of habitats but all of them with the ability to spread far and wide by seed. 

Great spring forage for a variety of flower visitors. A honey bee enjoys the nectar produced by the dandelion.

Indeed, they have even abandoned sex, producing fertile seed spontaneously without the need for pollen. Having said that, they are still an excellent resource for pollinating insects, not least because they are in flower almost all year round. 

Hoverfly taking a rest on the bright flower head.

And when left unchecked, as any gardener knows, they flower in abundance.

Dandelion seed head

Being so widespread, the Dandelion has found a firm place in folklore and herbal medicine. Its role as a powerful diuretic is reflected in a range of earthy folk names; ‘pis-en-lit’ in French, for example. 

Dandelion 'clock'

Dandelion pollen

‘Dandelion’, though, comes from ‘dent de lion’ - lion’s tooth, referring to the jagged leaf margins. The scientific name, Taraxacum, comes from the Greek taraxos (disorder), and akos (remedy), reflecting the plant’s long history as a herbal medicine. Due to its diuretic action, it is widely used for kidney disorders, with all parts of the plant being used but especially the root.

The leaves can be eaten as a salad green, the root can be roasted as a substitute for coffee and wine can be made from the flowers. And let us not forget its role in that British classic, Dandelion and Burdock.

All photos copyright Karin Alton (except the last: Steve Alton)

Of Cuckoos and Fritillaries

One effect of the wet winter seems to have been a particularly good show of Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis). This member of the mustard family is common on damp grassland, including road verges, and is the food plant of the Orange-tip butterfly (Antocharis cardamines).

It takes its common name from the fact that it often flowers around the time the first cuckoo is heard, but shares the name with several other, unrelated, plants that flower around the same time. Scientific names were invented to avoid this kind of confusion.

Another, sadly much less common, plant of damp grassland is the Snake’s-head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris). Although widely sold as a garden bulb, in the wild it is confined to a handful of wet meadows from Wiltshire and Oxfordshire to Suffolk. 

One of the classic localities is in the meadows of Magdalen College, Oxford, where it flowers in its thousands. Here it looks wonderful with a show of cowslips.

Photos: Steve and Karin Alton. Orange tip: Wikipedia