I was looking at cleaning up this strip of abandoned ground in one
corner... the one with the big poke weed. Amongst them are these ...
well I think giant dandelions. Out of curiosity I went searching for a
type that grows this huge.

They look a lot like dandelions only they are about 2 feet round
plants, and about 18' tall. It is growing a tight cluster of flower
buds on a single stem--about a dozen buds forming. Kind of a
dandelion on steroids. Also the leaves branch out, but they otherwise
look like a giant dandelion.

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
3rd year gardener
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalf...=/2055&.src=ph

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

I think it is a compass plant.These are the exact leaves I see. I seem
to recall seeing what looked like a sunflower in that corner.
Also called rosinweed and pilot plant. (Silphium laciniatum L.)

http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/compassplant.html

DigitalVinyl wrote:

I was looking at cleaning up this strip of abandoned ground in one
corner... the one with the big poke weed. Amongst them are these ...
well I think giant dandelions. Out of curiosity I went searching for a
type that grows this huge.

They look a lot like dandelions only they are about 2 feet round
plants, and about 18' tall. It is growing a tight cluster of flower
buds on a single stem--about a dozen buds forming. Kind of a
dandelion on steroids. Also the leaves branch out, but they otherwise
look like a giant dandelion.

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
3rd year gardener
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalf...=/2055&.src=ph

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
3rd year gardener
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalf...=/2055&.src=ph

or prickly lettuce...
This one has very distinct characterstics, the thorny ribbing and the
white latexy inside of the stem. Should be an easy ID in the morning.

DigitalVinyl wrote:

I was looking at cleaning up this strip of abandoned ground in one
corner... the one with the big poke weed. Amongst them are these ...
well I think giant dandelions. Out of curiosity I went searching for a
type that grows this huge.

They look a lot like dandelions only they are about 2 feet round
plants, and about 18' tall. It is growing a tight cluster of flower
buds on a single stem--about a dozen buds forming. Kind of a
dandelion on steroids. Also the leaves branch out, but they otherwise
look like a giant dandelion.

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
3rd year gardener
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalf...=/2055&.src=ph

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
3rd year gardener
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalf...=/2055&.src=ph

DigitalVinyl wrote:

They look a lot like dandelions only they are about 2 feet round
plants, and about 18' tall.

18 ft tall, you say. Don't know what it is, but I'd be frightened, for sure!

;-)

Is that supposed to be 18 inches?? They may be in danger of being
crushed by a dwarf.

Toad

DrLith wrote:

DigitalVinyl wrote:

They look a lot like dandelions only they are about 2 feet round
plants, and about 18' tall.

18 ft tall, you say. Don't know what it is, but I'd be frightened, for sure!

;-)
Oops...

DiGiTAL ViNYL (no email)
Zone 6b/7, Westchester Co, NY, 1 mile off L.I.Sound
3rd year gardener
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/royalf...=/2055&.src=ph

"magnetFL" wrote in message
oups.com...
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

He's right. We have them here, too, and I mentioned them last summer in
here. Not only are there multiple heads joined together like multiple
Siamese Twins, the stem going up to the flower is abnormally wide, too, like
it is multiple stems merged together. They are dandelions. I know what a
dandelion looks like.

Giselle

In message , "Rev \"Fragile Warrior\""
writes

"magnetFL" wrote in message
roups.com...
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

He's right. We have them here, too, and I mentioned them last summer in
here. Not only are there multiple heads joined together like multiple
Siamese Twins, the stem going up to the flower is abnormally wide, too, like
it is multiple stems merged together. They are dandelions. I know what a
dandelion looks like.

Giselle

What you describe is, I think, a fasciated dandelion. What the OP
describes does not sound like the same. "Giant dandelion" suggsts to me
something in the Hieracium/Crepis/Hypochoeris area; "tight cluster of
flower heads" a Sonchus (Sow Thistle), but I find the whole of Lactuceae
difficult to identify.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , "Rev \"Fragile Warrior\""
writes


He's right. We have them here, too, and I mentioned them last summer in
here. Not only are there multiple heads joined together like multiple
Siamese Twins, the stem going up to the flower is abnormally wide, too,
like
it is multiple stems merged together. They are dandelions. I know what a
dandelion looks like.

Giselle

What you describe is, I think, a fasciated dandelion. What the OP
describes does not sound like the same. "Giant dandelion" suggsts to me
something in the Hieracium/Crepis/Hypochoeris area; "tight cluster of
flower heads" a Sonchus (Sow Thistle), but I find the whole of Lactuceae
difficult to identify.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Okay, you've got me hooked: what's a fasciated dandelion?

Giselle

In message , "Rev \"Fragile Warrior\""
writes

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , "Rev \"Fragile Warrior\""
writes


He's right. We have them here, too, and I mentioned them last summer in
here. Not only are there multiple heads joined together like multiple
Siamese Twins, the stem going up to the flower is abnormally wide, too,
like
it is multiple stems merged together. They are dandelions. I know what a
dandelion looks like.

Giselle

What you describe is, I think, a fasciated dandelion. What the OP
describes does not sound like the same. "Giant dandelion" suggsts to me
something in the Hieracium/Crepis/Hypochoeris area; "tight cluster of
flower heads" a Sonchus (Sow Thistle), but I find the whole of Lactuceae
difficult to identify.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Okay, you've got me hooked: what's a fasciated dandelion?

Giselle

http://www.agron.iastate.edu/~weeds/...dID/dlion.html

Fasciation is a phenotypic variation which turns up in a variety of
plants. (I've seen it in dandelions, but I think the last I saw was a
Daphne). In some cases it's a genetic mutation; in others it's a
developmental aberration of plant growth, caused by herbicides,
herbivore damage, or whatever. In fasciation stems become flattened and
ribbon-like. In dandelion, where there are no vegetative stems (of any
length) it affects the peduncle (flower stalk), which is homologous to a
stem. As the dandelion "flower" is a compound inflorescence the
fasciated condition, by changing the shape of the base of the
inflorescence also distorts the inflorescence into a ribbon shape.

You can find more detail with Google - "fasciation in plants" or
"fasciation dandelion".
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , "Rev \"Fragile Warrior\""
writes

"Stewart Robert Hinsley" wrote in message
...
In message , "Rev \"Fragile Warrior\""
writes


He's right. We have them here, too, and I mentioned them last summer in
here. Not only are there multiple heads joined together like multiple
Siamese Twins, the stem going up to the flower is abnormally wide, too,
like
it is multiple stems merged together. They are dandelions. I know what
a
dandelion looks like.

Giselle

What you describe is, I think, a fasciated dandelion. What the OP
describes does not sound like the same. "Giant dandelion" suggsts to me
something in the Hieracium/Crepis/Hypochoeris area; "tight cluster of
flower heads" a Sonchus (Sow Thistle), but I find the whole of Lactuceae
difficult to identify.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Okay, you've got me hooked: what's a fasciated dandelion?

Giselle

http://www.agron.iastate.edu/~weeds/...dID/dlion.html

Fasciation is a phenotypic variation which turns up in a variety of
plants. (I've seen it in dandelions, but I think the last I saw was a
Daphne). In some cases it's a genetic mutation; in others it's a
developmental aberration of plant growth, caused by herbicides, herbivore
damage, or whatever. In fasciation stems become flattened and ribbon-like.
In dandelion, where there are no vegetative stems (of any length) it
affects the peduncle (flower stalk), which is homologous to a stem. As the
dandelion "flower" is a compound inflorescence the fasciated condition, by
changing the shape of the base of the inflorescence also distorts the
inflorescence into a ribbon shape.

You can find more detail with Google - "fasciation in plants" or
"fasciation dandelion".
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

Yep, after looking at the photo in the link, that's exactly what we had. I
once found one that had over 10 heads and a stem over an inch wide. I did
dry some of them but they look a lot less impressive when dry.

The area is now a pasture so I guess we won't be seeing much of them in the
future. Thanks for the link and explanation!

Giselle (and everyone in here thought I was nuts *sheesh* )

then hand me the plyers........but don't crush that
dwarf......................
madgardener
wrote in message
oups.com...
Is that supposed to be 18 inches?? They may be in danger of being
crushed by a dwarf.

Toad

just to throw in my own............this year I have a Shenandoah trumpet
lily that is affected by facination, and the thing widened out on the main
stem, split into two distinct stems and has twice the amount of blossoms
right now that were it not for tying it to a rebar, would have bent and
broken long before now. It's AWESOME! (pictures sent upon request,
madgardener

OMG, someone remembers Firesign Theater? Were they hilarious or what!!!!

Suzy O

"madgardener" wrote in message
...
then hand me the plyers........but don't crush that
dwarf......................
madgardener
wrote in message
oups.com...
Is that supposed to be 18 inches?? They may be in danger of being
crushed by a dwarf.

Toad