About

Taraxacum brachyglossum, commonly known as the purple-bracted dandelion, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It belongs to Taraxacum section Erythrosperma, a group of dandelions typically associated with dry, open habitats and known for their reddish achenes and distinctive bract coloration. Native to much of central and western Europe, including Great Britain, and introduced in parts of North America and southern Africa, T. brachyglossum is one of the more frequently encountered members of its section in the British Isles.

The species is characterized by its dull green, narrowly lobed leaves, purplish unwinged petioles, and glaucous-purple, horn-tipped outer bracts. Its yellow flower heads often display purple-striped ligules, and the reddish achenes are topped with a short cone. T.

Where it grows

Taraxacum brachyphyllum is native to central and western Europe, with its range extending west to France and Great Britain, and northward into southern Scandinavia. It is found throughout much of continental Europe, including Austria, Belgium, the Baltic States, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, and the northwestern Balkan Peninsula. Beyond its native range, T. brachyphyllum has been introduced to parts of North America and southern Africa, including British Columbia in Canada, and the Cape Provinces, Free State, and Lesotho in South Africa.

Other Taraxacum plants

Hampshire Dandelion · Japanese dandelion · Taraxacum algarbiense · Taraxacum angustisectum · Taraxacum aphrogenes · Arctic Dandelion · Taraxacum atrans · Taraxacum azzizii · Taraxacum balticum · Double Horn Dandelion · Taraxacum brachyceras · Taraxacum brachyphyllum