Dandelion - Taraxacum officinale (Compositae)

Description: Perennial with long stout taproot and a milky white sap. Flowers grow on tips of hollow reddish stems up to 18 in, are large sweet smelling and yellow in late spring to early autumn, followed by fluffy heads of seeds. Uses: Use leaves fresh or dried in warmth, flowers when fully opened in the sun, roots dug in summer. Leaves are a diuretic and are dried to make tonic teas. Inside surface of stems soothes burns and stings. Also given for liver and gall-bladder complaints. Infusion: Used to prepare more delicate parts of plants. 3 cups of water to 1 ounce dry herb or 1.5 ounce of fresh herbs; pour the freshly boiled water over herbs in a pot, cover the pot and let the herbs steep for at least 10 minutes. Strain and serve. Refrigerate unused portions, lasts up to 24 hours. Decoction: used to prepare barks, roots and berries 4 cups of water to 1 ounce dry herb or 2 ounces fresh herb; finely chop herbs in a pan and cover with the water (which should be cold). Bring this mixture to a boil, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then strain the liquid off and press as much of the remaining liquid out of the herbs as possible. Refrigerate unused portions, lasts up to 2 weeks. Tincture: A tincture is a good solution for long term treatment as will store for up to two years. 8 ounces of dried herb, 1.5 cups of alcohol (grain alcohol like Everclear), and 4 cups of water; Chop your herbs up finely and put them in a glass jar with a good tight fitting lid. Pour the liquid over the herbs and tighten the lid. Keep the jar in a warm, dark place for 2 weeks. Shake the jar every two days. After the two weeks, strain the liquid off through cheesecloth into a clean colored glass jar and store away from heat and direct sunlight.

Medicinal uses: diuretic, gall bladder and liver complaints