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- Oban Argyll
- 28 Aug 2005
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Dandelion has so many uses Digger such as Dandelion Tea Dandelion &Burdock is it not also used in Folk Medicine as a Dieuretic. In Scotland They are known as Pee The Beds The Name in French is Pis en Lit They have been used by humans for food and herbalism for much of recorded history. While the dandelion is considered a weed by most gardeners and lawn owners, the plant does have several culinary uses, and the specific name officinalis refers to its value as a medicinal herb. Dandelions are grown commercially on a small scale as a leaf vegetable. The leaves (called dandelion greens) can be eaten cooked or raw in various forms, such as in soup or salad. They are probably closest in character to mustard
greens. Usually the young leaves and unopened buds are eaten raw in
salads, while older leaves are cooked. Raw leaves have a slightly
bitter taste. Dandelion salad is often accompanied with hard boiled eggs. The leaves are high in vitamin A, vitamin C and iron, carrying more iron and calcium than spinach.
Dandelion flowers can be used to make dandelion wine, for which there are many recipes.[9] It has also been used in a saison ale called Pissenlit (literally "wet the bed" in French) made by Brasserie Fantôme in Belgium. Another recipe using the plant is dandelion flower jam. Ground roasted dandelion root can be used as a coffee substitute. Dandelion root is a registered drug in Canada, sold principally as a diuretic. A leaf decoction
can be drunk to "purify the blood", for the treatment of anemia,
jaundice, and also for nervousness. Drunk before meals, dandelion root
coffee is claimed to stimulate digestive functions and function as a
liver tonic. "Dandelion and Burdock" is a soft drink that has long been popular in the United Kingdom
with authentic recipes sold by health food shops. It is unclear whether
cheaper supermarket versions actually contain extracts of either plant.
The milky latex has been used as a mosquito repellent;[10]the milk has also been used to treat warts, as a folk remedy.[11]
Yellow or green dye colours can be obtained from the flowers but little colour can be obtained from the roots of the plant.[12]
Antioxidant properties
Dandelion contains luteolin, an antioxidant, and has demonstrated antioxidant properties without cytotoxicity.[13][14]
Caffeic acid and carcinogenicity
Caffeic acid is a secondary plant metabolite produced in dandelion, yarrow, horsetail and whitethorn. Despite its name, it is unrelated to caffeine. Recent studies have revealed this acid may be carcinogenic. When caffeic acid was tested for carcinogenicity by oral administration in mice, renal cell adenomas appeared in females, and a high incidence of renal tubular cell hyperplasia occurred in animals of each sex.[15] However, more recent research shows that bacteria present in the rodents' intestines may alter the formation of metabolites of caffeic acid.[16][17] There have been no known ill effects of caffeic acid in humans. To Link it with Ragwort is treating such a helpful plant unfairly Bees
Dandelions are important plants for bees. Not only is their Template:Phenology used as an indicator that the honey bee season is starting, but they are also an important source of nectar and pollen early in the season.]
Pearl bordered Fritillary
They are also used as nectar for Pearl-bordered Fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne), one of the earliest emerging butterflies in the spring. False dandelions
Macro photo of dandelion seed dispersal.
Dandelions are so similar to catsears (Hypochaeris)
that catsears are also known as "false dandelions." Both plants carry
similar flowers which form into windborne seeds. However, dandelion
flowers are borne singly on unbranched, hairless and leafless, hollow
stems, while catsear flowering stems are branched, solid and carry
bracts. Both plants have a basal rosette of leaves and a central
taproot. However, the leaves of dandelions are smooth or glabrous,
whereas those of catsears are coarsely hairy.
Other plants with superficially similar flowers include hawkweeds (Hieracium) and hawksbeards (Crepis). These are both readily distinguished by their branched flowering stems which are usually hairy and bear leaves.
[edit] Selected species
[edit] References
- ^ Dandelion - J. Doll and T. Trower
- ^ Richards, A.J. (1997). Dandelions of Great Britain and Ireland (Handbooks for Field Identification). BSBI Publications, 330. ISBN 978-0901158253.
- ^ http://www.jstor.org/pss/2430530
- ^ Taraxacum latilobum in Flora of North America @ efloras.org
- ^ Gardening in Western Washington: Dandelions
- ^
S. Potter & L. Sargent (1973) Pedigree: essays on the etymology of
words from nature. Collins New Naturalist series Volume 56
- ^ http://fieldcrop.msu.edu/documents/GR03-050.pdf
- ^ Common Dandelion
- ^ winemaking: Dandelion Wines
- ^ Plantwatch - Plants
- ^ Dandelion - The Natural History Museum - Country Cures
- ^ A. Dyer (1976) Dyes from natural sources. G. Bell & Sons Ltd., London
- ^
Chun Hu and David D. Kitts. Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of
Agricultural Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC,
Canada. October 2004. Luteolin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside from
dandelion flower suppress iNOS and COX-2 in RAW264.7 cells. Springer
Netherlands. 245:1-2(107-113).
- ^ Luteolin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside from dandelion flower suppress iNOS and COX-2 in RAW264.7 cells
- ^ Caffeic acid phenethyl ester is a potent and specific inhibitor of activation of nuclear transcription factor NF-kappa B., Natarajan K, Singh S, Burke TR Jr, Grunberger D, Aggarwal BB., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U S A., 1996 Aug 20;93(17):9090-5.
- ^ Caffeic Acid Metabolism by Gnotobiotic Rats and their Intestinal Bacteria
- ^ Chlorogenic Acid Bioavailability Largely Depends on Its Metabolism by the Gut Microflora in Rats
- ^ {{cite web | url=http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Taraxacum+kok-saghyz | title=Plants for a future: Taraxacum kok-saghiz
[edit] External links
- Everitt, J.H.; Lonard, R.L., Little, C.R. (2007). Weeds in South Texas and Northern Mexico. Lubbock: Texas Tech University Press. ISBN 0-89672-614-2
- Richards, A. J. 1972. The Taraxacum flora of the British Isles. Watsonia 9 (supplement): 1-141.
- Gail, Peter. The Dandelion Celebration: A Guide to Unexpected Cuisine. Cleveland, Ohio: Goosefoot Acres Press, 1994. ISBN 1-879863-51-0.
- Making Dandelions Palatable by John Kallas of Wild Food Adventures
- How to cook dandelions ~ at Wikibooks
- Dandelion Syrup - step-by-step illustrated recipe in English
- How to Get Rid of Dandelions
- How to Grow Dandelions
- Dandelion at Plants For A Future
- a university of Wisconsin article on dandelions
- Timelapse video of dandelions opening
- "SpringerLink". Chun
Hu and David D. Kitts. Food, Nutrition and Health, Faculty of
Agricultural Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC,
Canada. October 2004. Luteolin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside from
dandelion flower suppress iNOS and COX-2 in RAW264.7 cells. Springer
Netherlands. 245:1-2(107-113).
See also
Running Wild in The Wilds of Argyll
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