Using Dandelions in the Lab

Popping up in every school carpark and playing field, the adaptations that make dandelions ubiquitous also make them a valuable resource for the science lab.

Practicals

• Tropisms – Use the stalks (scapes) to demonstrate gravitropism. Resource: Investigating gravitropism with dandelions
• Ecology – Measure its distribution using transect and quadrats. Resource: Measuring abundance and random sampling.
• Ecology – Resource: Questions about Quadrats.

Teaching Topics

• Plant Responses
• Gravitropism
• Measuring distribution
• Sampling
• Abundance

Image resources

• Dandelion – detail of the fruiting head
• Dandelion – fruiting head
• Tap root of a dandelion

Description

Dandelion, Taraxacum officinale, also known as the ‘clock plant’ due to the arrangement of coma hairs at the top of each seed – an adaptation for wind-dispersal

Dandelion has a complex, yellow flower and is widely distributed. It belongs to one of the largest families of flowering plants – Asteraceae.

Growing and sourcing

Obtaining: Common in school grounds and playing fields. No cost, but you will need to advise school ground staff not to cut when the flower heads are produced. Check no weed-killers are being applied. A useful resource for the distribution activity is the FSC foldout guide Playing Field Plants

Note: Warning: sap can irritate skin.