Hi,

Can't tell what your "steroidal dandelion" might be without a picture
but it is definitely not a dandelion because you state that there are
"about a dozen buds" forming on a single flower stem. Dandelions have
only one flower bud per flower stem. One flower bud per flower stem is
one of the defining characteristics of dandelions.

Regards,
Rufino Osorio
Lake Worth, Florida