Crop Protection Online > Pests - Weed biology<br> <sub>Agro-region: Denmark</sub> - Taraxacum officinale

Crop Protection Online

4.11 2024

Weed biology
_{Agro-region: Denmark}

Taraxacum officinale

Can be mistaken for

Sonchus spp., which has hairy true leaves.

Characteristics

Cotyledons
Oval with entire leaf margins. Stalked. Smooth surface. Length approx. 5-7 mm.

True leaves
Almost lancet-shaped in outline, but broadest towards one end. The leaf margin is more or less serrate. Smooth surface. The leaves contain latex, which can be seen by squeezing a torn-off leaf. Length approx. 12-15 mm. The first true leaves of plants that are germinated from pieces of roots resemble the true leaves of young seedlings.

Mature plant
Dandelion is a low-growing plant with rosulate true leaves. The flower heads sit on 5-30 cm high, erect scapes. The whole plant is filled with latex. The diameter of the flower head is approx. 30-50 mm. Seed production: Up to approx. 200 seeds per flower head.

Seed
Cone-shaped and slightly curved. Oval cross section. The top ends in a stalk with a pappus umbrella; the stalk can easily be broken off. The surface has several longitudinal ribs, which are covered with patulous teeth at the top. Thousand grain weight approx. 0.7 g.

Biology

Propagation and dispersal
Through seeds and pieces of roots.

Habit
Perennial.

Importance

The species is frequently found in meadows and other perennial crops throughout Denmark and in reduced-tillage fields. Only plants germinated from pieces of roots are of importance as a weed, e.g. in perennial meadows.

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Taxonomy

Compositae.

Names in different languages

Danish :	Mælkebøtte
German :	Gemeiner Löwenzahn
English :	Dandelion
Latin :	Taraxacum officinale
Norwegian :	Løvetann
Swedish :	Maskros

Seedling

Early stage

Vegetatively reproduced

Flower

Mature plant

Seeds

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Weed biology Agro-region: Denmark