Dandelion

Description

Dandelion is known less by its botanical name than by a thousand common names that show how enormously widespread it is: "lion's tooth", "blowball", "dog's tooth", "cicoria matta" and "piscialletto" are some of the names used in the various Italian regions for this hardy perennial herbaceous plant, that is, resistant to frost.

Leaves

Dandelion leaves are oblong, glabrous, jagged, that is, with toothed triangular lobes resembling a lion's teeth in shape, and form rosettes up to thirty centimetres or so tall. They are very rich in vitamins and mineral salts, so they are gathered in spring, when they are tender, and are eaten raw, mixed into salads.

Flowers

The yellow flowers, of a very strong colour, are solitary, borne upright on long stems, and appear between April and October. These flowers close when the weather is dull, when evening comes, and if they are cut and put in a vase. At the end of flowering they turn into what is commonly called a "clock", the downy sphere typical of this herbaceous plant, whose achenes, easily scattered by the wind, allow the seeds to spread.

Fruits

In autumn the small glossy berries, botanically called drupes, ripen, blackish-violet in colour, slightly acid in taste, gathered in bunches, and very rich in vitamin C.

Exposure

Dandelion is not demanding in terms of exposure and grows well in sun as in half-shade.

Propagation

Dandelion normally propagates spontaneously.

Growth

This herb could not be as enormously widespread as it is if it were a demanding plant, it fears only places that are too damp, but otherwise it needs little to thrive, and often even becomes a weed.

Harvesting

The leaves are preferably picked before flowering, for the roots the best harvesting periods are spring or late autumn. The stems should be gathered during flowering.

Storage

To dry more quickly, the roots should be split lengthwise.

Properties

IN THE KITCHEN: The leaves can be gathered all year round and, both fresh and boiled, have a beneficial depurative action. Dandelion risotto (half a kilo of leaves for four people) is prepared like any vegetable risotto. The unopened buds, pickled in vinegar, can be used instead of capers; the root, roasted in the oven and then ground, provides a beneficial coffee substitute.

Beauty

The decoction of the roots, obtained by boiling 40 grams of roots in a litre of water for ten minutes, has a toning and soothing action on the skin.

Health

For those with problems of constipation or with boils resulting from a sluggish liver, dandelion infusion, prepared by boiling a spoonful of root in a cup of water, is an excellent remedy. It is also a good diuretic. Anyone who always feels tired should try following the dandelion stem cure for a fortnight or so: pick flowering stems, wash them, then remove the flower and slowly chew the stem, which is slightly bitter, crunchy and juicy like a salad. From five to ten stems a day, taken for a fortnight or so, have a beneficial depurative effect, regenerate the organism and give new vigour.

Curiosity

As early as the 1500s the depurative virtues of dandelion were known and appreciated, in those days it was even believed that wearing a necklace made of pieces of the root of this herb brought greater serenity and improved social relations.