A Slice Of Dandelion
by Connie Handscomb
Title
A Slice Of Dandelion
Artist
Connie Handscomb
Medium
Photograph - Photography - Fine Art
Description
Everything that the senses receive is nourishment ....
~ Ananda Moyi (fr. Aux sources de la Joie)
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While this wildflower is now naturalized throughout North America, the dandelion's original origins are in debate.
Medicinally, Arabian physicians have used the dandelion since the 10th century, and British apothecaries of the 16th century considered this plant invaluable. This plant is a powerful diuretic. It also helps the body digest fats, detoxifies the liver, gallbladder, kidneys and is used for skin conditions (acne, eczema, psoriasis). The large, milky taproot large and fleshy; it is a mild anti-flammatory, and the sap removes corns and warts. Fresh, and dried, it is a tonic. Joint pains and stiffness are also conditions treated with the dandelion. Fresh dandelion juice fights bacteria and heals wounds. A tea from the dried root cleanses the kidneys, gallbladder, and urinary tract.
Eating fresh leaves in salad removes uric acid from the body (helpful in arthritis and rheumatism). The tap root can be cooked like a carrot.
As a food, almost all parts can be eaten. It has been eaten for centuries. It is presumed the dandelion arrived in North America with the European settlers as a pot herb. The leaves are rich in antioxidant carotenoids, potassium, iron, calcium, and Vitamins A, B, C, and D. They are the least bitter in the early spring. They are most commonly used in salads; also, cooked like spinach. The crown can be deepfried. Flowers can be fried in butter, or used to make wine. The large taproots can grow to 12 inches long; they can be roasted, ground, and used as a caffeine-free coffee substitute.
During WW II, dandelions were cultivated for the latex extracted from the roots to make rubber.
The leaves can be used in baths and for facial steams.
The flower can be used to make yellow dye for wool (using the whole plant produces a magenta colour). The whole dandelion, roots and all, make a shell pink colour of dye.
The flower opens with the morning sun (between 6 and 7 o'clock), and closes in the evening : I didn't know that :) It is sensitive to light and weather, and closes up when darkness or a storm approaches.
Each flower head produces up to 200 seeds; in total, one plant can have up to 5,000 seeds. The seed head is a symbol of abundance, the seeds themselves messengers. More folklore: picking a dandelion under the light of a full moon, then blowing the seeds in the four directions while making a wish will ensure it comes true.
Dandelion Tea : One heaping tsp of dried leaf per cup - put in a teapot with
boiled water, steep for 5-8minutes for a delicate flavour; a half hour for
stronger dose. It can be drunk cold throughout the day.
Sources:
Rodale's 21st Century Herbal [Balick]
Illustrated Encyclopedia of Magical Plants [S.Gregg]
Harvesting The Northern Wild [M.Walker]
Herbs & Edible Flowers [Lois Hole]
Weeds Of Canada and the N. United States [Boyer; Dickinson]
Folk Wisdom For A Natural Home [B. Pagram]
Country Wisdom [R.Ricardson]
The Herbalist [Meyer]
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Looking into the dandelion bloom, from its side: Captured in the shadows: unedited; uncropped ... Nature in all its natural splendour.
Uploaded
July 4th, 2016
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