Taraxacum

taraxacum

(təˈræksəkəm) n1. (Plants) any perennial plant of the genus Taraxacum, such as the dandelion, having dense heads of small yellow flowers and seeds with a feathery attachment: family Asteraceae (composites)2. (Pharmacology) the dried root of the dandelion, used as a laxative, diuretic, and tonic[C18: from Medieval Latin, from Arabic tarakhshaqūn wild chicory, perhaps of Persian origin]

Thesaurus

Noun

Taraxacum - an asterid dicot genus of the family Compositae including dandelionsgenus Taraxacumasterid dicot genus - genus of more or less advanced dicotyledonous herbs and some trees and shrubsaster family, Asteraceae, Compositae, family Asteraceae, family Compositae - plants with heads composed of many florets: aster; daisy; dandelion; goldenrod; marigold; lettuces; ragweed; sunflower; thistle; zinniablowball, dandelion - any of several herbs of the genus Taraxacum having long tap roots and deeply notched leaves and bright yellow flowers followed by fluffy seed balls

Taraxacum

a genus of perennial plants of the family Com-positae. The plants contain a milky juice. The leaves form a basal rosette and may be pinnatifid or entire. The flowers, which are bisexual and ligulate, grow in separate heads located at the tips of leafless, hollow flower stalks. The fruit is an achene with a beak and a pappus made of numerous white hairs. Many species are marked by apomixis.

There are 70 “major,” or “collective,” species or more than 1,000 “minor” species of Taraxacum. They are distributed in the cold and temperate zones. In the USSR there are about 200 species. The most widespread species is the common dandelion (T. officinale), which includes hundreds of apomixic forms. The common dandelion grows near dwellings; in pastures, and along roads, forest edges, and rivers. It grows as a weed on lawns and in gardens and meadows. The plant is eaten by livestock. The young leaves are edible, and the roots may be roasted to make an ersatz coffee. The dried roots are used as bitters to stimulate appetite, as a laxative, and as a cholagogue. A thick dandelion root extract is used in the production of pills. Certain species, such as the kok-saghyz (T. kok-saghyz), contain rubber in their roots.

REFERENCES

Flora SSSR, vol. 29. Moscow-Leningrad, 1964.
Atlas lekarstvennykh rastenii SSSR. Moscow, 1962.

T. V. EGOROVA

taraxacum

ta·rax·a·cum

(tă-rak'să-kŭm), The dried rhizome and root of Taraxacum officinale (family Compositae), the dandelion, a wild plant of wide distribution throughout the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere; alleged to be a tonic and hepatic stimulant. [Mod. L. fr. Ar. tarakshagūn, wild chicory]

Taraxacum

taraxacum

Taraxacum

Taraxacum

REFERENCES

taraxacum

ta·rax·a·cum

Taraxacum

Synonyms for Taraxacum

noun an asterid dicot genus of the family Compositae including dandelions

Synonyms

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