Taraxacum officinale (agg.) Common Dandelion CCC D N
Is it a dahlia? Is it a sunflower? Close-up, a dandelion flower could be confused with these and it's actually quite an impressive weed when in full flower covering a roadside verge with yellow.
Taraxacum is an apomictic genus which lead to dozens of identifiable micro-species. However since a mischievous botanical friend sent off flowers and leaves to an expert asking for identification I've had my doubts. He was given two micro-species as answers but we know he took them from the same plant. Identifiable these micro-species may be, but not by me and not even by some experts in the field it seems.
This is one of the few occasions I depart from the detail contained in Stace as he doesn't describe a T. officinale in his book but attempts to summarise the species with its 229 micro members.
T. officinale is found throughout in the British Isles.
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LHS: Cheshire verge 18th April 2010 RHS: Verge outside our house, 26th May 2001
Added on 28th September 2004, amended 5th February 2005, updated 18th April 2010, updated 13th February 2012, updated 12th Nov 2014