-snipped-

RAIt's true that any plant can be a weed, but the reverse is also true, that i
RAwe can redeem our weeds if we identify their value.

RABest of luck in your weed / plant identification quest.

(Different stalks for different folks 8-)

I understand the much dispised dandylion is not native to
north america; it was brought here by some of our anglo-saxon
ancestors who felt it had medicinal attributes (I had an
uncle who made an interesting wine from it 8-).

Ciao, Ack.

---
# SLMR 2.1a # "We know too much and feel too little." Bertrand Russell
* Origin: BBS Networks @ www.bbsnets.com [8010] (8:8/62)

wrote:
-snipped-

RAIt's true that any plant can be a weed, but the reverse is also true, that i
RAwe can redeem our weeds if we identify their value.

RABest of luck in your weed / plant identification quest.

(Different stalks for different folks 8-)

I understand the much dispised dandylion is not native to
north america; it was brought here by some of our anglo-saxon
ancestors who felt it had medicinal attributes (I had an
uncle who made an interesting wine from it 8-).

Ciao, Ack.

---
# SLMR 2.1a # "We know too much and feel too little." Bertrand Russell
* Origin: BBS Networks @ www.bbsnets.com [8010] (8:8/62)

The dandelion was also accepted as a potherb centuries back. Although
largely rejected in home gardens, today the dandelion is known to be
good forage on the ranges, and is especially relished by sheep and
cattle.

I picked up some of this information from the book "Weeds of the West".
You can find out more about dandelions and other weeds in other weed
identification references as well, many of which are listed on EWIRM.

As good as they may be, don't feel guilty about pulling them out of
your lawn, 'cause you know they'll survive our rejections quite well.

Ray
_______________________________________________
EWIRM: Know your weeds to control your weeds!

"raycruzer" wrote:

wrote:
RAIt's true that any plant can be a weed, but the reverse is also true,
RAthat we can redeem our weeds if we identify their value.

I understand the much dispised dandylion is not native to
north america; it was brought here by some of our anglo-saxon
ancestors who felt it had medicinal attributes (I had an
uncle who made an interesting wine from it 8-).

The dandelion was also accepted as a potherb centuries back. Although
largely rejected in home gardens, today the dandelion is known to be
good forage on the ranges, and is especially relished by sheep and
cattle.

Actually there is no THE dandelion, but it is a genus with many species
and some are native to the USA.

What we usually call dandelion is the Common Dandelion (Taraxacum
officinale). It was valued as a medicinal plant and cultivated, so its
true source is not obvious except to say the northern Hemishere, and
more specifically, EUrasia. Many attribute it to the UK.

Other dandelion species include:

Taraxacum albidum - the white-flowering dandelion is found in Japan and
Korea.

Taraxacum bessarabicum - in found in Southeastern Europe.

Taraxacum brassicaefolium - mustard-leaved dandelion is found in East
Asia.

Taraxacum californicum - California dandelion is native to California
and an endangered species.

Taraxacum carneocoloratum - fleshy dandelion is native to Alaska

Taraxacum eriophorum - woolbearing dandelion is native in the Western US.

Taraxacum erythropodium - is found in Eastern Asia.

Taraxacum formosanum - is found in Taiwan.

Taraxacum heterolepis - is found in Manchuria.

Taraxacum hondoense - is found in Japan

Taraxacum hybernum - is found in Italy and Balkans.

Taraxacum japonicum - is a Japanese dandelion

Taraxacum kok-saghyz - rubber dandelion; Russian dandelion

Taraxacum laevigatum (syn. T. erythrospermum), Red-seeded dandelion or
rock dandelion is found in the UK.

Taraxacum lyratum - harp dandelion is native to the Western US.

Taraxacum magellanicum - is found in Southern South America and New
Zealand.

Taraxacum megalorrhizon - is found in Southern Europe.

Taraxacum mongolicum - is found in China.

Taraxacum obovatum - is found in the Mediterranean regions.

Taraxacum palustre - narrow-leaved marsh dandelion is native to the UK.

Taraxacum phymatocarpum - northern dandelion is native to Alaska.

Taraxacum platycarpum - is found in Central Japan.

Taraxacum sinicum - is found in East Asia.

Taraxacum spectabile - showy dandelion or red-veined dandelion.

Taraxacum tibeticum - is found in Tibet.

Taraxacum variegatum - is found in East Asia.

======
A weed is just a plant in the wrong place, so any plant can be a weed.
Invasive plants are more often considered weeds.
--
Pardon my spam deterrent; send email to
Visit my Rhododendron and Azalea web pages at:
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Cheers, Steve Henning in Reading, PA USA Zone 6

In article , Stephen
Henning wrote:

"raycruzer" wrote:

wrote:
RAIt's true that any plant can be a weed, but the reverse is also true,
RAthat we can redeem our weeds if we identify their value.

I understand the much dispised dandylion is not native to
north america; it was brought here by some of our anglo-saxon
ancestors who felt it had medicinal attributes (I had an
uncle who made an interesting wine from it 8-).

The dandelion was also accepted as a potherb centuries back. Although
largely rejected in home gardens, today the dandelion is known to be
good forage on the ranges, and is especially relished by sheep and
cattle.

Actually there is no THE dandelion, but it is a genus with many species
and some are native to the USA.

What we usually call dandelion is the Common Dandelion (Taraxacum
officinale). It was valued as a medicinal plant and cultivated, so its
true source is not obvious except to say the northern Hemishere, and
more specifically, EUrasia. Many attribute it to the UK.

Other dandelion species include:
[list clipped]


Plus a lot of people call sundry hawkweeds dandelions.

The name T. officianale may actually embrace scores or hundreds of species
originally from Northern Europe, as the "variants" are so extreme that for
any other plant they'd definitely get their own species names. It's too
bad it's too weedy to just grow as an intentional crop, as the roots
especially can be extremely good eating, & should have been selectively
bred for fatter roots, as some variants have long stringy root difficult
to work with, others have stubbier really fat roots splendid for the
table, & a root-hunt in the meadows can be frustrating if the given strain
or variant all have long stringy taproots.

I harvest the largest fresh leaves as tastier than most lettuce, & far
tastier than spinach or chard or any number of crappier greens. I
occasionally set out to harvest the roots but it's hard locally to find
the ones with roots big enough to be worth skinning. Here's the only way I
prepare them: Skin 'em with a potato pealer, cut them in inch-long
segments & cut those in half lengthwise, soak in water overnight then
discard the water. Fry them in a bit of oil & flavor with soysauce. Good
enough for a side-dish sprinkled with sesame seeds, or mixed with freshly
oven-baked or wok-fried hulled pumpkin seeds -- careful, the seeds "hop"
as they heat up -- or tossed into fried rice or noodles. Oh god, I gotta
go dig some right now.

I know people fight dandelions then come to hate them because it's
impossible to win the war. I like them so much for eatin' it's impossible
for me to hate them, even though being at least a little annoyed by there
omnipresence in no-weeds-allowed gardens is inescapable.

-paghat the ratgirl
--
Get your Paghat the Ratgirl T-Shirt he
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"In every country and in every age, the priest has been hostile to
liberty. He is always in alliance with the despot." -Thomas Jefferson