Taraxacum
is a large genus of flowering plants which consists of species
commonly known as dandelions. They are native to Eurasia and North
America, but the two commonplace species worldwide were introduced
from Europe and now propagate as wildflowers although when they are
in your yard they are considered weeds. Fortunately there are many
products to rid them from your yard though.
Both
of the common species are edible in their entirety. They have very
small flowers collected together into a composite flower head. Each
single flower in a head is called a floret. In part due to their
abundance along with being a generalist species, dandelions are one
of the most vital early spring nectar sources for a wide host of
pollinators. Many species produce seeds asexually by apomixis, where
the seeds are produced without pollination, resulting in offspring
that are genetically identical to the parent plant.
In
general, the leaves are 2–10 inches long or longer, simple, lobed,
and form a basal rosette above the central taproot. The flower heads
are yellow to orange colored, and are open in the daytime, but closed
at night. The heads sit atop a hollow stem (technically called a
scape) that is usually leafless and rises 3/8ths to 4 inches or more
above the leaves. Stems and leaves exude a white, milky latex when
broken. The flower heads are 3/4 to 2 inches in diameter and consist
entirely of ray florets. The flower heads mature into spherical seed
heads called blowballs or clocks containing many single-seeded fruits
called achenes. Each achene is attached to a pappus of fine hairs
which enable wind-aided dispersal over long distances.
The
dispersed seeds rapidly colonize disturbed soil, especially the
common dandelion which has been introduced over much of the temperate
world. After flowering is finished, the dandelion flower head dries
out for a day or two. The dried petals and stamens drop off, the
bracts reflex (curve backwards), and the parachute ball opens into a
full sphere.
There
are also false dandelions. The leaves of dandelions are smooth
whereas those of false dandelions are coarsely hairy.
Aside
from being obnoxious when they are in a lawn, dandelions are supposed
to have several health benefits although these claims are currently
being studied for complete validation. They are also rich in vitamin
A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and detoxifiers.
Some
health benefits include: improved bone health, control of diabetes,
skin care, treatment of urinary disorders, prevention of acne,
treating jaundice, weight loss, cancer prevention, prevention of gall
bladder disorders, cures constipation, prevents anemia and regulates
blood pressure.
Dandelions
can also be used as a vegetable and are a good source of fiber. It
promotes digestion and in the past, it was used to treat scurvy
because of its high levels of vitamin C. It also has healing effects
on dyspepsia, infections in the stomach, intestines, and the urinary
system.
A
word of caution: dandelions can be helpful in lowering blood sugar,
but for patients already taking blood-sugar modulators, this can
result in hypoglycemia. Also, the milk sap of dandelions has been
known to cause itchiness, irritation, or allergic reactions on the
skin, and should be kept away from the eyes. Finally, there is a rare
type of fiber in dandelions called inulin and some people have a
predisposed sensitivity or allergy to it which can be quite severe.
While adding dandelion greens to your diet in any way, start small
and closely monitor your body’s response.
By the way, you can't kill a dandelion by pulling it. They produce strong taproots 6-18 inches deep and they can produce new plants even when cut off below the soil.
Every
part of the dandelion is edible: you can eat the leaves as greens
either cooked or in salad, you can make dandelion wine, fry the
flowers into fritters, make coffee and tea drinks out of the stem and
seeds and more.
Now
while on the subject wine, did you know you can make snake wine?
It's true. Snake wine is an alcoholic beverage produced by infusing
whole snakes in rice wine or grain alcohol. The drink was first
recorded to have been consumed in China around 1040–770 BC and is
considered an important curative and believed to reinvigorate a
person according to Traditional Chinese medicine. It can be found in
China, Goa (India), Vietnam, and throughout Southeast Asia.
The
first thing you have to do is get yourself a snake, preferably a
venomous one. That's because to have their "essence" the
snake venom has to be dissolved in the liquor. The snake venom poses
no threat to the drinker because it is denatured by the ethanol, its
proteins being inactivated by the alcohol although stomach acid does
the same thing.
Once
you have your snake, you are ready to make one of two types of snake
wine depending on whether you want to use just parts of a live snake
or the entire snake itself.
Steeped:
A whole venomous snake is placed into a glass jar of rice wine or
grain alcohol, sometimes along with smaller snakes and medicinal
herbs and left to steep for many months. The wine is drunk as a
restorative in small shots or cups.
You
insert the snakes into the container while they are still alive and
drown them. Or, if you are feeling humane, stun it by placing it on
ice then gut it, sew it back up. You have to be careful with the
later method though because the snake will likely waken and thrash
around, before curling into an aggressive striking pose and dying.
Gutting is sometimes preferred because the removal of the snake's
innards can noticeably reduce the pungent smell of the finished wine. Putting them in the alcohol live has an aesthetic advantage because the snakes often die in a coiled position which some
people find attractive.
Mixed:
The fresh body fluids of the snake are mixed directly into prepared
alcohol and consumed immediately in the form of a shot. Snake blood
wine is prepared by slicing a snake along its belly and draining its
blood directly into the drinking vessel filled with rice wine or
grain alcohol.
If
you're curious you can watch a snake being stuffed into the alcohol
jar HERE.
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