Plant Study
Dandelion
Family Name: Aster composite
Family Name: Asteraceae compositae
Latin Name: Taraxacum officinalis
Common Names: Pee in the bed, lion's tooth, fairy clock (2:52).
Native American Names: (Not a native plant)
Related Species:T. mongolicum (2:52).
Body System Affiliations:
1. Digestive
2. Circulatory
3. Skin
Botanical Description:
Habit: Herb
Size: up to 1 ft. (2:52).
Arrangement: basal
Leaves: green, slender, long, toothy leaves.
Flowers: each yellow petal like figure is actually an entire flower. What is commonly known as the dandelion flower is really a composite head or a cluster
of flowers.
Fruit: white seed spur stage
Underground parts: tap root.
Ecology:
Habitat: dandelions can grow in most every condition but they seem to flourish in grasslands, temperate & subtropical and urban areas.
Range: U.S.A, Europe, Asia. (1:164)
Native Where: Europe
Ecological Relationships: as a non-native plant it is commonly considered a weed. Dandelion's spread quickly and reproduce a sexually.
Places/Dates Observed/Description: In yards and on roadsides throughout Washington and Oregon throughout my whole life.
Propagation:
Technique: plant seeds outdoor or indoor (in cold conditions), space 10-12 inches apart and water light to moderately (3:69).
Timing: mid to late spring for outdoor growth (3:225).
Harvest:
Plant Part: root
Season of Harvest: early spring (3:225).
Method of Harvest: dig
Ecological Considerations of Harvest: none found
Cultural Considerations of Harvest: none found
Cautions: don't harvest near road sides or in places where soil may contain dangerous chemicals.
Plant Part: leaves
Season of Harvest: leaves; anytime (3:225)
Method of Harvest: pick at base of plant
Ecological Considerations of Harvest: none found
Cultural Considerations of Harvest: none found
Cautions: don't harvest near road sides or in a place where soil may contain dangerous chemicals.
Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships:
Food: The whole plant it edible yet roots are generally not eaten raw.
.
Medicine:
Part Used: roots
Medicinal Actions: tonic, hepatic, cholagogue, cholertic, anti-rheumatic, alterative, mild laxative, bitter (4:31).
Indications: Hepatitis, acne, high blood pressure, anemia, constipation, stomach ache (1:164).
Body System Associations: digestive, circulatory, skin
Constituents: taraxacin (bitter), triterpenes (including taraxol and taraxasterol), sterols, inulin, sugars, pectin, glycosides, choline, phenolic acids, asparagine, vitamins, potassium (2:52)
Harvest & Processing: dig taproot
Storage: air tight container, out of light, in a cool dry place ( 4:63).
Application(s): Decoction, alcohol & vinegar tincture.
Preparation:
Decoction; "slice and bruise 1 oz. of dried dandelion root and boil it in 1 pint distilled water for 10 min.
Strain and pour over the top of the residue enough water to make the finished product measure 1 pint.
A little orange peel added at the end of the boiling period is said to increase its usefulness.
This preparation does not keep well and must be freshly prepared".
A historic method of Decoction, adapted from King's American Dispensatory, 1898 (4:114).
Tincture; when using dried herb.
grind herb and place in jar with alcohol
shake jar to saturate all herb
add additional alcohol so that it levels 1/4 in. above the level of herb, seal jar air tight.
If herb continues to absorb alcohol then continue to add more so that the level remains at 1/4 in.
Let soak for 14 days shaking frequently then sit for one day undisturbed.
Pour top liquid off and add to the pressings from wet pulp, seal tightly to store. (4:149)
Pharmacy:
Decoction; 2-6 grams 3 times a day (4:115).
Tincture; 5 full droppers 2-3 times a day (4:148)
Other: tinctures can be made with alcohol or vinegar.
Cautions: none found
Medicine:
Part Used: leaves
Medicinal Actions: diuretic, bitter (2:52)
Indications: indigestion, water retention, UTI.
Body System Associations: urinary, digestive.
Constituents: lutien, violaxanthin and other carotenoids, bitter substance, vitamins A,B,C,D, potassium, iron (2:52).
Harvest & Processing: pick leaves at base of plant.
Storage: air tight container in a cool dry place out of light.
Application(s): infusion, tincture
Preparation:
Infusion; use 1 oz. (25 grams) of herb per 2 cups water,
Pour just boiled water over leaves in a container, stir well and cover tightly,
Steep for 20-30 min. strain and press liquid out of leaves,
Add hot water until infusion measures 1 pint (4:109).
Tincture; 1 part herb to 5 parts menstrum, combine in jar,
Keep tightly covered in a warm place,
Shake twice a day for 14 days then strain liquid and press out all liquid from herb (2:135).
Pharmacy:
Infusion; 3-5 grams 3 times a day (4:110).
Tincture; 1 tesp. 3 times a day. (2:52).
Other: "unlike conventional (pharmaceutical) diuretics, dandelion does not leach potassium from the body; its rich potassium content
replaces that which the body looses" (2:52).
Cautions: none found
Personal Experience:
Food: I tasted the leaves before I began to harvest so that I was sure that the plants were in fact dandelion.
Since they were not flowering, sometimes it was hard to tell by lookingat the leaves.
Medicine:
Part Used: roots
Medicinal Actions: tonic, hepatic, choleratic, anti-rheumatic, alterative, degenerative, mild laxative, bitter.
Indications: hepatitis, acne, high blood pressure, anemia, constipation, stomachache.
Body System Associations: digestive, circulatory, skin.
Constituents: taraxacin (bitter), triterpenes (including taraxol and taraxasterol), sterols, inulin, sugars, pectin, glycosides, choline, phenolic acids, asparagine, vitamins, potassium.
Harvest:
Site Location: Evergreen State College organic farm.
Site Description: throughout the garden's developed and undeveloped areas. Loose aerated soil, butter cup present in most areas of harvest. There were uncountable amounts of dandelion plants around my area of harvest that it was difficult to decide which ones were going to be harvested.
Technique: I carefully and slowly dug down the root line until it was uncovered enough for me to softly tug on root it a circular motion and have it slide out of the ground.
Processing: On the harvest site all that was done to the herb was I placed it in a bag to be taken home.
Storage: the roots and leaves still connected were stored in the same bag for one day.
Experience: My sister and I walked around the organic farm for a while getting a feel for and getting to know the place. Once I found a dandelion that stood out to me I began my harvesting. First I drew the flowerless plant with its long leaves pointing upward towards me. This drawing was followed by a moment of silence with the plant before I began to dig. I got such a good feeling and strange feeling from this particular plant. As a leaned in and asked the plant for its okay for me to begin digging, my heart beat became very apparent in my temples, not at all a painful feeling, but a head rush of sorts. The plant before me came into very clear focus and I felt very good. With this I harvested my very first dandelion. We dug up around ten plants and each one had such a beautiful feeling about it. I had an amazingly wonderful time with the harvest.
Application/Preparation/Pharmacy:
Application: vinegar tincture
Preparation: I rinsed and broke up the root into small pieces and placed in a glass jar.
Then I poured apple cider vinegar over the top of the surpassing the level of root by about 1/2 in.
Next I sealed up the jar and labeled it with the name of medicine and the date that it was mixed, and placed it in a dark cupboard.
Pharmacy: 5 full droppers 2-3 times a day.
Reason/Purpose: I made this medicine choice for a specific reason. A very special woman in my life is of pour health for the time being. While I was reading all of the indications and medicinal actions of dandelion root she came to mind. I really hope that she will accept my offering and allow herself to be helped by this beautiful plant.
Experience: this experience was so amazing for me. I was surrounded with good feelings throughout the trail walk to the organic farm, the preparation to harvest and the act of harvesting and the making to the tincture. It feels so good to know that what the dandelion and I have made will be helping the life of a wonderful woman.
Cautions based on experience: Since dandelion leaves come with such a variety of appearances and the flowers were not present it was sometimes difficult to tell if the plant was infect dandelion or not. In some instances the leaves were tasted prior to harvest but if the leaves were bitter then the plant was harvested only to find out by tasting the roots that the plant harvested was in fact not dandelion. I felt very bad for the two plants that I harvested and were then not able to use.
Other: I am also in the process of drying the leaves so that I may share some dandelion leaf tea with my friend as well.
Cautions: make sure that the plant you are making medicine with in fact dandelion by tasting the leaves and the roots which both have a quite bitter almost unpleasant flavor about them.
References Cited
1. Tierra, Lesley. A Kid's Herb Book for Children of all Ages. San Francisco, Ca: Robert D. Reed Publishers, 2000.
2. Mabey, Richard. The New Age Herbalist. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1988.
3. Hartung, Tammi. Growing 101 Herbs That Heal. orth Adams, MA: Storey's Custom Publishing, 2000.
4. Green, James. The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook. Berkeley, California: The Crossing Press, 2000.
Lacey Graves
Arts Environment and the child
Fall 2005
