Dwarf Dandelion (Krigia virginica) - a little lawn weed that is everywhere this spring -- photographed near the grass walkway in the Garden. Text from Wildflowers and Grasses of Virginias Coastal Plain. This annual plant looks like a miniature dandelion, growing only one foot tall. The stems are leafless, or leafy only near the base, contain a milky sap, and arise from a cluster of 4-inch long, light green basal leaves. They are long and narrow, with shallow lobes, often wider near the tip, somewhat hairy and pointed. The flower heads are small, less than 1 inch across, borne on long stalks and composed of all ray flowers, bright golden-yellow and strap-like. The tips of the rays are flat and cut into 3-5 shallow segments. Dry seeds (achenes), crowned by 5 bristles and 5 tiny scales, are distributed by the wind. A clump of fibrous roots rather than a taproot anchors the plant. Dwarf Dandelion blooms from March through July in dry, poor soils, roadsides, fields, lawns, and sandy places. It grows best in full sun, acidic soils, often in disturbed areas. The plant is widespread across Virginia, and ranges from Maine and Vermont to Wisconsin and south to Florida and Texas.
Posted on: Mon, 28 Apr 2014 12:55:55 +0000
Trending Topics
© 2015