Taraxacum officinale

nigosaur · Post by **nigosaur** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:01 pm

Hello I am a pharmacy student and I'm looking for Taraxacum officinale because I would like to work on it for my thesis. I was unable to find it till now. Can anybody tell me if it can still be found in the Maltese countryside and where please?

Thanks for your help!

wolf · Post by **wolf** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:36 pm

i think Taraxacum officinale is only cultivated locally so you may have to enquire where since it probably would occur as an alien as well

Post by **MWP admin** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:45 pm

The common dandelion, against belief of common people, do not grow in the wilderness of Malta, or might (= I doubt) be found as a cultivated escape, but the chances you find it are difficult. Many think that Sonchus oleraceaus (tfiefa komuni) is the Dandelion since of the 'similar*' ball of pappus. As Wolf said, it was reported to be cultivated in the past, but I doubt that they still do this practice nowadays.

I have seen the real Common Dandelion in Finland, which is considered as a notorious pest where the flower head is larger and the *= ball of pappus is really nice, globular and large, with chicken-leg-like seeds.

I do not know why you have selected this plant to study since of its scarcity/absence on the islands. In case you do not find it, the best thing to do is to cultivate it on your own (and under strict control because Malta does NOT require the introduction of another notorious weed) :

1) Check local shops if they sell it as seeds (probably not)
2) Clean hands/slower - Get permission from Univ to order a packet of seeds from abroad.
3) Dirty hands/faster - Ask some friends/relatives abroad to send you a packet by reg post enclosed in some Xmas card !! (I think I should delete point 3

!)

Good luck, and would be nice to mention the forum for the help u get in your references! [NB: It is Free of charge / posts by experts / easy / fast / possible to debate ! ]

Invite your tutor to join here as well (The more the merrier)

keep us informed

Post by **MWP admin** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:49 pm

Wolf, I think IMHO they do not allow cultivation of Dandelion since the seeds are easily dispered by wind (ask Taraxicum 's relative - Conyza about this evantuality) and would introduce an alien weedy species.

wolf · Post by **wolf** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 9:57 pm

mwp - if some people still cultivate this stuff who will stop them?
other than that you are correct on all other counts

wolf

nigosaur · Post by **nigosaur** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 1:35 am

It is a plant which has some interesting pharmacological properties. But it's ok I can use other plants too.

Post by **MWP admin** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 12:09 pm

Wolf, yes I agree that there are no controls on our island, but I think there is not much demand for cultivating this plant either nowadays, and I dont know for what purpose they used to cultivate it. Maybe for animal fodder as a substitute to the sow thistle?

IL-PINE · Post by **IL-PINE** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 9:15 am

I think there are much more useful medicinal plants than the Dandelion! What a hassle to bring seeds from abroad for such a plant!

wolf · Post by **wolf** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 4:33 pm

correct Pine - last year I met a farmer in Mgarr who said there is still a woman in Mgarr who concocts some pain relief unguent from ruta chalepensis ( fejgel/fringed rue ) I believe this is an important medicinal plant which cud interest our friend

wolf

ps...exciting new post on the way ...watch this space !!!!

jackpot · Post by **jackpot** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 7:08 pm

he, he, be careful: There is an indigenous species (Taraxacum bitynicum agg.), growing rarely in Malta. Introducing T. officinalis, it could (would very easily) become a pest on your islands and destroy many other things, like your Oxalis. It is almost impossible to control T. officinalis, even not really in quarantaene...

Post by **MWP admin** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 9:39 pm

I agree, as I said before, it would easily spread if not kept under strict control (ie strict measures like cutting away every flower to prevent fruit in lab grown potted plants). But better not to play with fire here.

I would suggest Melissa officinalis (a bit of a challenge to find it and so perhaps not much researched) or of course the always medicinally famous and plenty - Borago officinalis. There are plenty of more examples like Sisymbrium officnale, Satureja microphylla, Fumaria officinalis, Papaver somniferum, and many Lamiaceae species. And again these are few examples from the variety offered by the Maltese flora.

PS

I would also suggest a different title (despite it may be too late to change) but might make u a millionair in Malta! New Thesis Title: How to eridicate Oxalis pes-caprae!

Cheers ! !

RB · Post by RB » Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:10 pm

Taraxacum bitynicum - does this look like the officinale?

I could not find any info.

Looking at the officinale, if you asked me whethere I have ever seen this plant, my default answer would have been "yes of course" before reading this thread.

So what plant do we have here that resembles officinale so much?

RB

jackpot · Post by **jackpot** » Thu Nov 09, 2006 8:58 am

T. bitynicum. Because it is pretty diverse (agg.) some people separate the Maltese plants as T. megalorrhizon (p. 310)