Scientific name: Taraxacum officinale
Common name: Dandelion
Dandelion seedheads are the familiar spherical, silvery-white structures that develop after the yellow flowers of the common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) fade. Each seed is attached to a delicate, parachute-like tuft of fine hairs called a pappus, allowing the seeds to be carried easily by wind. The rounded seedheads are often admired for their intricate, symmetrical form and ephemeral beauty, particularly when illuminated by sunlight or covered with morning dew. As the wind disperses the seeds, the once-full seedhead gradually becomes sparse, completing the dandelion’s simple and effective cycle of reproduction.