The biology of Canadian weeds. 117. Taraxacum officinale G. H. Weber ex Wiggers

Abstract

Taraxacum officinale G. H. Weber ex Wiggers (dandelion, pissenlit officinal) is a perennial weed occurring in parks, gardens, pastures, orchards, roadsides, vegetable gardens, agricultural crops and horticultural crops. A common weed worldwide, it was originally introduced from Eurasia and now occurs in every province of Canada. It is an aesthetic problem during flowering and seed production, interrupting turfgrass uniformity and density; it reduces yields of agricultural crops; it causes slower drying of hay; its pollen is allergenic; and it acts as an alternative host for several pests and diseases. A number of herbicides are available for its control. Mechanical removal of T. officinale plants has limited success, due to the regenerative capacity of the long taproot. Insects, fungi, sheep and geese have been considered as biological control agents for dandelion. Key words: Taraxacum officinale, dandelion, weed biology, Canada.