| Common Dandelion |
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 Location: Fen Drayton Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire |
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| The
common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) produces
yellow flowers. The yellow flowers are composite, meaning
they are made up of many small individual flowers or
florets, which together form a single flower head. Each
flower head consists of two types of florets: ray florets,
which are the outer, flat, and yellow petal-like
structures, and the central disc florets, which are small,
tubular flowers in the center of the flower head. The white, fluffy structure is not a flower - it forms after the dandelion flower has been pollinated and the seeds have matured. This structure, called a pappus or dandelion clock, consists of numerous tiny, parachute-like seed heads attached to individual seeds. When the seeds are ready for dispersal, the pappus allows them to be carried by the wind, ensuring the plant's wide distribution and reproduction. |