I always thought they were called dandelions because the looked like a lion’s mane…kinda…
It comes from Dente-de-lion (French) and it means Lion’s tooth. It’s in reference to the coarse ends of the leaves…just like lions’ teeth.
Am I the only one on the planet who didn’t know that?
[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1500140842540{background-color: #cff9f7 !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text]DID YOU KNOW? You know that milky sap inside a dandelion stem? That’s latex! Yes, as in rubber.
EXPERIMENTS: This page has some great ways to explore dandelions and rubber! Make a Rubber Band from a Dandelion
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Dandelion Tidbits
- 100% of dandelion parts throughout their life cycle are edible and safe to most people.
- Dandelion seeds can travel up to 8km (5 miles)!
- The grains are too large to be an allergy concern
- Tire manufacturers are trying to use dandelions for their rubber
- Dandelion roots can be 15 feet long!
Gravitropism vs Phototropism? Gravity and light. It’s how plants grow the proper direction. The roots grow down with gravity, the stem goes in the opposite direction, towards the sun…wikipedia is helpful in understanding how.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCmSvoKhzUs
I have to say, in creating this page, my travels took me to the medicinal and nutrional aspects of dandelions…OR the rubber making…I had no idea. I suppose we have a lot to try now!
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- 16 Dandelion Recipes
- Dandelion on Encyclopedia.com
- Tire makers race to turn dandelions into rubber
- Investigating Gravitropism with Dandelions
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