On 17/01/2015 17:19, David Hill wrote:
On 17/01/2015 16:58, Spider wrote:
Something that has always puzzled me is the way the very double-flowered
dandelion attracts bees and seems to be so good for them. With most
other double flowers, bees gain very little because the many tiny
florets which make up the 'cushion' at the centre of the flower have
been turned to petals by (mostly) breeders or freaks of nature.

Does anyone here with a better grasp of botany have an explanation for
this apparent anomoly?

What I can never understand is why don't we ever see a white dandilion
or a variegated form.
You'd think that with the hundreds of millions of them growing around
the world by now we would have some different forms.
David


Yes, you're quite right! It's either got very strong yellow genes
(chromosomes?) or it's just never been seen because everyone whips the
head off them whilst still in bud. If they were a bit more reluctant to
grow from seed, they'd probably be encouraged. I think they're very
pretty and I love to see bees on them. I try allowing mine to flower
(to feed the bees) then whip the heads off them before they seed
everywhere.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay