2024 Dandelions - March April May

All records verified by A. J. Richards

The season started on the 14th March for me

14th March 2024 VC23 Arncott

Taraxacum trilobatum

SP6110 1801

VC23 Arncott

Locn. Grassy Roadside (Unmown)

Wide purple petioles with wide wings, hairy, blotched dirty green leaves with large teeth. Terminal lobes with lingulate tip. Bracts long and narrow.

Taraxacum angustisquameum

SP6100 1812

VC23 Arncott

Locn. Grassy Roadside (Unmown)

Small and prostrate with small narrow spreading / clawed bracts, dark green some blotching, short acute terminal lobes, deltoid.

Taraxacum subhamatum

SP6073 1829

VC23 Arncott

Locn. Grassy Roadside (Unmown)

Robust, unbordered bracts and extenuate pointy tips to the leaves. Doesn’t seem to have any colour to the ligule tips?

Taraxacum sellandii

SP6094 1820 

VC23 Arncott

Locn. Grassy Roadside (Unmown)

Those hooked lower lobes with big teeth and wide triangular terminal lobes suggest sellandii to me. Young bracts not classic

Taraxacum cophocentrum

SP6112 1797

VC23 Arncott

Locn. Grassy Roadside (Unmown)

These leaves were around in February. Bracts aren’t classic

16th March 2024 VC9 Dorset

Taraxacum britannicum

SZ0277 7915

VC9 Swanage

Pavement edge

Ligule stripes brown with blackish ends, dark stigmas. Narrow edge to bracts.

Taraxacum cornubiense

SZ 0287 7916

VC9 Swanage

Under hedgerows

There were some pale plants and mid green plants – I put this down to age / soil condition. I was expecting more red on the stripes and ligule tips but none of them seemed to have that – ligule stripes were brown so perhaps that comes with age. Achenes had cones and bracts spreading / arcuate rather than erect.

Petioles green and midribs purple threaded

Taraxacum leucopodum

SZ 0286 7916

VC9 Swanage

Under hedgerows

I found this species in quite a few places. It had remarkably long twisted, multidirectional, interwoven bracts. The petioles were white with long broad wings, green midribs.

The leaves were bright green, highly crisped and lateral leaf lobes multidirectional, toothed and lecerate and some with linear processes that expanded at the end

Terminal lobes were also pretty much heterphyllous with long lingulate tip

Taraxacum lamprophyllum

SZ 0305 7920

VC9 Swanage

Unmown park

Large bordered bracts

Taraxacum hamiferum

SZ 0300 7921

VC9 Swanage

Unmown park

Small Hamata with very hooked regular lobes 'Wing-nuts' and clearly bordered bracts

Taraxacum hamatum

SZ 0270 7899

VC9 Swanage

Pavement edge

Unbordered erect spreading bracts

17th March 2024 VC5 Somerset

Taraxacum subexpallidum

ST47320 18323

VC5 Stoke-sub-Hamdon

Garage forecourt grassy area

No pollen which made me think of cherwellense - but could be due to the weather

Taraxacum atrocollinum

ST 2466 1595

VC5 Staple Hill Car Park and lots around this area

Pollen plentiful, dark styles, 3-4 lateral lobes, glabrous.

Long ovate narrowly bordered bracts

Ligule stripes pale grey lower, brown distal

Taraxacum marklundii

ST 2465 1596

VC5 Staple Hill Car Park

Taraxacum subhamatum

ST 2463 1598

VC5 Staple Hill Car Park

Interlobes blotched and narrow lobes seem bordered

Taraxacum amicorum

ST 2352 2444

VC5 Taunton Churchyard

Frequent in this churchyard and along the pavement!

Taraxacum sahlinianum

ST 2354 2446

VC5 Taunton Churchyard

A young plant

22nd March 2024 VC23 Arncott & Ambrosden

Taraxacum coartatum 

SP 6114 1797

VC23 Arncott 

Roadside verge 

Reddish tips to inner florets and inner petioles pink 

Taraxacum intumescens 

SP 610 180

VC23 Arncott 

Roadside verge 

Taraxacum insigne 

SP 6110 1802

VC23 Arncott 

Roadside verge 

Taraxacum planum

SP 6099 1812

VC23 Arncott 

Pavement edge 

Mid-dark green leaves and the lobes are quite extreme

Taraxacum sublaeticolor 

SP 6098 1815

VC23 Arncott 

Pavement edge 

Group Alatum with some forward pointing lobes, narrow winged petioles and a single subdivision in end lobe. 

Taraxacum longisquameum 

SP 6092 1824

VC23 Arncott 

Pavement edge 

Sagittate lobes  

Taraxacum dilaceratum 

SP 6084 1832

VC23 Arncott 

Pavement edge 

Humped and lobe doubling – only a little hairy. Prostrate rosette 

Taraxacum aequilobum 

SP 6054 1919

22/3/2024 

VC23 Ambrosden 

Roadside verge 

Twisted bracts 

23rd March 2024 VC23 Bicester

Taraxacum horridifrons

SP 5718 2117

VC23 Bicester Village Park & Ride

Unmown roadside verge

Broad Alata lobes and hairy leaves. Some lobes are doubled

Taraxacum pannulatiforme

SP 5719 2118

VC23 Bicester Village Park & Ride

Unmown roadside verge

Dark green, no colour in petioles, crisped slight blotching to interlobes

Taraxacum boekmanii

SP 5719 2118

VC23 Bicester Village Park & Ride

Unmown roadside verge

Possibly the most numerous species at this location still a lot of young plants

Taraxacum acutifrons

SP 5720 2119

VC23 Bicester Village Park & Ride

Unmown roadside verge

Can look mid green. Bracts are triangular green above (not pruinose) – really distinctive. Distant lateral lobes with broad / humped base to long narrow processes – acute tip. Crisped blotched interlobes. Terminal lobe long / pointed lingulate with some subdivision. Long green winged petioles

Taraxacum interveniens

SP 5720 2120

VC23 Bicester Village Park & Ride

Unmown roadside verge

Onion spire lobes - Noticing this is quite an early species.

Taraxacum sublongisquameum

SP 5720 2119

VC23 Bicester Village Park & Ride

Unmown roadside verge

Those incredible bracts and sagittate lobes

27th March 2024 VC23 Bicester

Taraxacum undulatiflorum

SP 5911 2118

VC23 Bicester Graven Hill Roundabout

Grassy verge

Similar to T chloroticum but lateral lobes not pointed enough

Taraxacum spiculatum

SP 5911 2119

VC23 Bicester Graven Hill Roundabout

Grassy verge

Its Hamata

Taraxacum densilobum

SP 5914 2117

VC23 Bicester Graven Hill Roundabout

Grassy verge

There were two adjacent plants - this is the better one

Taraxacum hamatiforme

SP 5914 2117

VC23 Bicester Graven Hill Roundabout

Grassy verge

Bright purple midrib and petioles. Distant narrow shiny lateral lobes cut to the midrib

30th March 2024 VC34 Bristol

Went over to Bristol for a few hours and met up with Dylan Peters.

Everything was very well grown here. Maybe go mid March next year

Taraxacum incisum

ST 5614 7448

VC34 Bristol

Roadside grassy verge

Taraxacum pallidipes

ST 5615 7446

VC34 Bristol

Roadside grassy verge

No bract borders and no colour to petioles

Sagittate lobes and spreading narrow bracts

Taraxacum huelphersianum

ST 5613 7448

VC34 Bristol

Roadside grassy verge

Broad stellate dumpy bracts and ‘Poirot moustache’ lobes. Erect plant

Taraxacum speciosiflorum

ST 6105 7523

VC34 Bristol

Tesco carpark

Not quite right for T hepaticum. Jagged occasional indents to broad terminal lobes first caught my eye. Bordered bracts

No pollen!!! There was quite a large group of plants here

Taraxacum lingulatum

ST 6125 7524

VC34 Bristol

Edge of Park – unmown

Pale green reflexed bracts, unblotched interlobes, purple tinted midribs and pale petioles

Taraxacum longisquameum

ST 6126 7524

VC34 Bristol

Edge of Park – unmown

Small mid/dark green decumbent plant

Taraxacum subexpallidum

ST 61264 75243

30/03/2024

VC34 Bristol

Edge of Park – unmown

Sub-divided end lobes and greenish unwinged petioles and sigmoid bracts

Taraxacum amplum

ST 61336 75211

30/03/2024

VC34 Bristol

Edge of Park – unmown

Distinctly winged petioles. Bordered reflexed bracts very distinctive

Taraxacum multicolorans

ST 5897 7663 

VC34 Bristol

Roadside verge ‘nature reserve’

Dylan took me to see this splendid plant. A few others growing there.

1st April 2024 VC23 Bicester

Taraxacum huelphersianum

SP 6110 1796

VC23 Arncott

Edge of my driveway! and a VC23 tick for me

Been watching this for a while

4th April 2024 VC23 Bicester

Taraxacum exacutum

SP 5891 2089

VC23 Bicester - Graven Hill

Edge of pavement

Got excited about this being T mimulum but bracts broad stellate and end lobes more sagittate than diamond

7th April 2024 VC28 Norfolk

Taraxacum oxoniense

TF 8908 4489

VC28 Holkham beach sand dunes

Edge of sandy track

I’d forgotten how big and striking these can get. This was typical of the plants in the dunes and probably the most frequent species

Taraxacum lacistophyllum

TF 8908 4492

VC28 Holkham beach sand dunes

Edge of sandy track

Classic shaped leaf with long ligules and curled bracts.

Taraxacum fulviforme

TF 8908 4492

VC28 Holkham beach sand dunes

Edge of sandy track

No Pollen. Spade shaped terminal (acute subdivision) lobes with 3-4 lobes. Bracts spreading with fine border.

Lateral lobes hooked back with acute tips – entire. Narrow green petiole unwinged (narrow parallel wing) some pink

Taraxacum lambinonii

 TF 8904 4501

VC28 Holkham beach sand dunes

Sand dune grass

This was a common form on the dunes with a more neutral purple / pink petiole and reflexed lateral lobes. No pollen, obtuse tips to lateral lobes

Taraxacum inopinatum

TF 8910 4508

VC28 Holkham beach sand dunes

Sand dune grass

Nice to find this. About 5 plants in front of a rabbit burrow. No pollen

Taraxacum brachyglossum

TF 8910 4508

VC28 Holkham beach sand dunes

Sand dune grass

Next to the inopinatum several rosettes. Lovely to see these perfect plants with their purple arched /recurved bracts and delicate symmetrical dark green leaves. Normally stunted

Taraxacum fulvum

TF 89111 45125

VC28 Holkham beach sand dunes

Sand dune grass

No pollen. Several plants, bracts unbordered and erect / spreading. Stigmas very dark and brownish ligule stripes. Not typical

Taraxacum lambinonii

TF 8911 4512

VC28 Holkham beach sand dunes

Sand dune grass

Narrower patent lobes. No pollen

Taraxacum falcatum

TF 8911 4512

VC28 Holkham beach sand dunes

Sand dune grass

Lateral lobes very long and curled – narrow then thicken. Some double lobing. Petioles green, short unwinged. Some terminal lobes triangular

" 'British falcatum' Danish stuff has coloured petioles but it is v similar. Look in Sandmaskrosor" AJR pers com.

12th April 2014  VC23 Wendlebury Mead

Taraxacum subbracteatum

SP 5636 1747 

VC23 Nr Wendlebury 

Species rich ridge/furrow meadow 

Lobe doubling and unbordered bracts

Taraxacum subundulatum

SP 5640 1765 

VC23 Wendlebury Mead 

Species rich water meadow 

A Mead species 

Taraxacum oellgaardii 

SP 5640 1765 

VC23 Wendlebury Mead 

Species rich water meadow 

A typical example  

Taraxacum marklundii 

SP 5640 1765 

VC23 Wendlebury Mead 

Species rich water meadow 

This is the ‘common’ unbordered Hamata in the meadow. Dull bluish green leaves with dentate distal edge 

Taraxacum fulgidum 

SP 564 176 

VC23 Wendlebury Mead 

Species rich water meadow 

Typical ‘good’ plant – had to be photograped. Numerous in the meadow. I like the way it always has one bract that stays erect, bluish leaves and muscly lobes. 

What I’m seeing is that the later leaves tend to develop more of a rounded end lobe and deeper purple petioles 

Taraxacum bracteatum 

SP 5643 1767 

VC23 Wendlebury Mead 

Species rich water meadow 

Erect bracts and dark green leaves with broad triangular lateral lobes. I don’t think I’ve recorded bracteatum here  

Taraxacum excellens 

SP 5643 1767 

VC23 Wendlebury Mead 

Species rich water meadow 

End lobe is triangular

Taraxacum diastematicum

SP 5646 1766 

VC23 Wendlebury Mead 

Species rich water meadow 

Long , pinkish and recurved bracts. Purple petioles with narrow green wing.  Does have diamond shaped terminal lobes and some double lobing. Scape doesn’t seem to fit the leaves so a bigger plant out of the Meads. 

Taraxacum anglicum 

SP 5646 1766 

VC23 Wendlebury Mead 

Species rich water meadow 

Apple shaped, glabrous edged, unbordered dark green bracts. Yellow stigmas with pollen 

Taraxacum palustre 

 SP 5649 1766 

VC23 Wendlebury Mead 

Species rich water meadow 

Note a more pink than red (anglicum) tone to the scape colour. 

Taraxacum tamesense 

SP 5652 1770 

VC23 Wendlebury Mead 

Species rich water meadow 

A well developed plant with blotched interlobes, Dark green leaves. Bracts (like fulgidum) always seem to keep a couple sub-erect 

Taraxacum akteum 

SP 5652 1770 

VC23 Wendlebury Mead 

Species rich water meadow 

Had to be lurking somewhere.

Taraxacum valens

 SP 5650 1765

VC23 Wendlebury Mead 

Species rich water meadow 

Dark broad bordered bracts on the bud, triangular end lobe and a tooth on the lower lateral lobes. Typical Mead species 

Taraxacum ancistrolobum 

SP 5603 1666 

VC23 Nr Wendlebury 

Grassy verge to track  

14th April 2024 Norfolk

A day out with Russell Ness and Simon Pavlou (Pav)

Taraxacum acutifidum

TL 8806 8327

VC28 Thetford

Pavement edge

Has 4+/- lateral lobes.  Triangular terminal lobe, leaves dark-green patent

Taraxacum exacutum

TL 8802 8326

VC28 Thetford

Pavement edge

Narrow wings on some petioles.

Taraxacum parnassicum

TL 9557 8068

VC28 Knettishall Picnic Area

Grass patch next to car park. Sub-obtuse mid green. No pollen and short/mid-length ligules (hooded). Arcuate bracts with narrow border

Taraxacum ??

TL 9557 8068

VC28 Knettishall Picnic Area

Grass patch next to car park

"Something Special" Bracts are erect on these plants and underside border to bracts broad. distinct and ligules long with very dark stripes. Scapes glabrous, pollen present

Taraxacum fulvum

TL 9557 8072

VC28 Knettishall Picnic Area

Grass patch next to car park

No pollen

Taraxacum scanicum

TL 9558 8067

VC28 Knettishall Picnic Area

Grass patch next to car park

Long lingulate end lobe (subdivided). Pollen present

Taraxacum polyodon

TL 9548 8071

VC28 Knettishall Picnic Area

Under Pines next to car park

Tiny stunted plants seem to be numerous in these habitats

Taraxacum tortilobum

TL 9557 8068

VC28 Knettishall Picnic Area

Grass patch next to car park

3 plants were found. Arachnoid-hairy plants with dark purple petioles and midribs. Very distinctive contorted leaf shape and twisted long teeth. The lateral lobes are very broad based and ligule stripes are brownish. Pollen present but sparse

Taraxacum fulvum

 TL 9549 8066

VC28 Knettishall Picnic Area

Grass patch next to car park

No pollen. Same as plants on Holkham dunes

14th April 2024 Suffolk

Taraxacum scanicum

TL 8000 7051

VC26 Lackford Lakes

Edge of entrance road

Long subdivided lingulate end lobes. Bracts pale green, straight, erect/spreading, clear border and more linear edges

Taraxacum lambinonii

TL 8000 7051

VC26 Lackford Lakes

Edge of entrance road

Again! This plant lacked pollen and had erect ovate bracts.

Taraxacum glauciniforme

TL 7999 7057

VC26 Lackford Lakes

Edge of car park

No pollen, stigmas yellow, petioles purple with narrow wings.

Taraxacum rubicundum

TL 7883 7153

VC26 Ramparts Field

Short rabbit grazed heath

Scape is glabrous and ligules quite long. Bracts erect. Ligule stripes are brownish. Pollen is plentiful (we get that in the UK)

Taraxacum lacistophyllum

TL 7879 7151

VC26 Ramparts Field

Short rabbit grazed heath

Very elongated lobes similar to falcatum. On top of rabbit burrow so maybe enriched.

Taraxacum brachyglossum

TL 768 733

VC26 Icklingham

Short rabbit grazed heath

Broad short terminal lobes, falcate acute lateral lobes, mid / dark green leaves. Upper bract edges are distinctly fine bordered on this population. Pollen plentiful

19th April 2024 VC22 Frilford

Taraxacum brachyglossum

SU 4667 9967

VC22 Cothill

Sandy grass (nature reserve)

Pollen plentiful, stigmas discoloured

Ligule stripes purple/brown, tips and top edges smudged purple and pinched

Bracts pale green purple, broad arcuate lower, narrow arcuate recurved mid, unbordered.

Hairy scape

Mid/dark green flat leaf – prox. edge curled up with tooth

Acute tipped sagittate triangular lateral lobes

Taraxacum altissimum

SU 4681 9963

VC22 Cothill

Grassy path edge

Leaves mid-green.

Plant erect, inner leaves with long indented triangular terminal lobe

Long narrow winged petioles

Bracts do have a slightly darker edge to them

Taraxacum curtifrons

SU 4686 9951

VC22 Cothill

Grassy path edge

Taraxacum obtusifrons

SU 4680 9935

VC22 Cothill

Sandy grass (nature reserve)

Not very bright

Taraxacum quadrans

 SU 4610 9978

VC22 Cothill

Edge of marsh area

With its regular lobes and matt blue green unblotched leaves. Bracts with +/- border

Taraxacum angustisquameum

SU 46073 99827

VC22 Cothill

Edge of marsh area

It’s a young plant - bracts are very pale greyish green and lateral lobes on older leaves are long and sagittate.

Maybe a young T acroglossum

Taraxacum falcatum

SU 4383 9793

VC22 Frilford

Edge of golf course

Determined from specimen at BSBI workshop – photos not great

Taraxacum dilatatum

SU 4375 9799

VC22 Frilford

Edge of golf course

Taraxacum fulvum

SU 43835 97951

VC22 Frilford

Edge of golf course

No pollen and regular triangular lateral lobes

4th May 2024 VC61 Spurn

Taraxacum pannulatum

TA 4167 1537

VC61 Kilnsea

Edge of car park – sandy grassland

Slightly hairy and some large end lobes also a large erect plant. Bracts are not long enough for procerisquameum

Taraxacum fulviforme

TA 4192 1499

VC61 Kilnsea

Sand dune grassland

Pollen absent

Taraxacum speciosiflorum

TA 4199 1484

VC61 Kilnsea

Sand dune grassland

Pollen absent! Yellowish stigmas

Ligules involute, red teeth

Bracts reflexed narrow recurved violet pruinose above

Petioles unwinged / narrow winged, purple, hairy

Sagittate lateral lobes

Taraxacum trilobatum

SE 4158 5031

VC64 Wetherby

Service station verge

5th May 2024 VC70 Cumbria

Taraxacum olgae

NY 283 595

VC70 Drumburgh

Coastal grassland

A selection of spotty and blotched plants with narrow green erect bracts

Taraxacum naevosiforme

NY 2839 5953

VC70 Drumburgh

Coastal grassland

Its dark greyish green and hairy! and the bracts are spreading and sub-erect. The slugs had nibbled all the ligules tips off!

Taraxacum hamiferum

NY 283 595

VC70 Drumburgh

Coastal grassland

Pollen present.  Stigmas not very dark, +/-bordered bracts, bluish green. Doing an impression of a Celtica

Taraxacum pseudolarsonii

NY 098 513

VC70 Silloth

Beach / edge of sand dunes

Occasional plants all along the dunes

Taraxacum pannulatum

NY 09667 50859

VC70 Silloth

Beach / edge of sand dunes

Extenuate terminal lobe and bracts spreading – recurved violet above with slight border.  Petioles pale outers, pink inners

Taraxacum euryphyllum

NY 098 513

VC70 Silloth

Beach / edge of sand dunes

Occasional plants all along the dunes

Taraxacum longisquameum

NY 0987 5158

VC70 Silloth

Sand dunes

Shocking purple +/- unwinged petioles and dark interlobe blotches.

Acute tipped end lobe

Taraxacum haworthianum

NY 1002 5161

VC70 Silloth

Sand dunes

A few plants present

Midribs hairy and some purple, lateral lobes slightly hooked. Achenes are dark purple.

The reddish/violet ligule stripes and putple/red ligule teeth (inner too)

Appressed bordered bracts with dark purple corniculate tips

Taraxacum sublaeticolor

NY 0998 5161

VC70 Silloth

Sand dunes

Has pollen had long ligules with pale violet-grey stripes. Bracts were striking green sub-erect! globrous scapes and leaves

Taraxacum duplidentifrons

NY 1710 3131

VC70 Cockermouth

Edge of woods

Pollen present, hairy with dark ligule tips

Taraxacum hamatum

NY 1700 3131

VC70 Cockermouth

Edge of woods

Pollen present, purple midribs, dark spreading (older) erect (younger flower) bracts. Proximal edge to lateral lobes convex - 'rather typical'

Taraxacum sagittipotens

NY 1707 3129

VC70 Cockermouth

Edge of woods

Homophyllous pale green leaves. Bracts are narrow

18th May 2024 Hereford

Taraxacum palustrisquameum

SO 3796 5796

VC36 Moseley Common

Marsh, river flood meadow

The wettest part of the meadow

Still had clock and old involucre (less advanced than other Taraxacum).

Little apiculate tips to side lobes.

Taraxacum chlorofrugale

SO379 579

VC36 Moseley Common

Marsh, river flood meadow

The most abundant dandelion in the meadow, hundreds of plants all ‘clocked’.

25th May 2024 Orton Cumbria

Taraxacum faeroense

NY 626092

VC69 Orton