Taraxacum

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/taraxacum

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Taraxacum
2. What is the lifespan?Perennial; individual plants can live for several years, often reproducing annually
3. What makes dandelion seeds travel so far?Dandelion seeds have a fluffy pappus that acts like a parachute and creates a stable vortex ring, letting them float in the wind for a long time. This wind dispersal helps them travel across continents.
4. Why do dandelions grow in almost every place?They are perennial herbs with a strong taproot that can find deep water and nutrients, and many can reproduce without fertilization, so they can quickly grow back after being disturbed. This makes them very good at colonizing new places.

Anemochory: The dispersal of seeds or spores by wind.
Apomixis: A form of asexual reproduction in plants that mimics sexual reproduction, producing seeds without fertilization.
Pioneer Species: Hardy species that are the first to colonize barren or disturbed environments.
Phytochemicals: Naturally occurring chemical compounds produced by plants, often with medicinal properties.