Dandelion coffee In 1919, dandelion root was noted as a source of cheap 'coffee'. It has also been part of edible plant classes dating back at least to the 1970s. Harvesting dandelion roots requires differentiating 'true' dandelions ("Taraxacum" spp.) from other yellow daisy-like flowers such as catsear and hawksbeard. True dandelions have a ground-level rosette of deep-toothed leaves and hollow straw-like stems. Large plants that are 3–4 years old, with taproots approximately 0.5 inch (13 mm) in diameter, are harvested for dandelion coffee. These taproots are similar in appearance to pale carrots. After harvesting, the dandelion roots are dried, chopped, and roasted.
Type (biology) a type include: Note that a type does not determine the circumscription of the taxon. For example, the common dandelion is a controversial taxon: some botanists consider it to consist of over a hundred species, and others regard it as a single species. The type of the name "Taraxacum officinale" is the same whether the circumscription of the species includes all those small species ("Taraxacum officinale" is a "big" species) or whether the circumscription is limited to only one small species among the other hundred ("Taraxacum officinale" is a "small" species). The name "Taraxacum officinale" is the same and the