Common across most of the state. Often found with Common Dandelion.
Description
Differentiating between the two dandelion species should only be done while the dandelion is in fruit. Red-seeded Dandelions have reddish fruit, while the Common Dandelion has greenish brown fruit.
Red-seeded Dandelion gone to seed in Milton, Massachusetts (5/13/2010). Red-seeded Dandelion is an introduced species from Europe.
Media by
Tom Palmer.
Taraxacum erythrospermum, known by the common name red-seeded dandelion, is a species of dandelionintroduced to much of North America,[1] but most commonly found in the north.[2] It is often considered as a variety of Taraxacum laevigatum (i.e., Taraxacum laevigatum var. erythrospermum).[3] In many characteristics, it is similar to the common dandelion, Taraxacum officinale.
This species is very similar to, and often mistaken for, the common dandelion, Taraxacum officinale. It most readily differs by its reddish-brown seed bases, unlike the more olive colored seeds of T. officinale. The red-seeded dandelion can also be identified by its leaves, which have consistently triangular lobes throughout, whereas T. officinale tends to have erratic lobing with minimal or no triangular form. The leaves of T. erythrospermum thus bear a closer resemblance to the basal leaves of sow thistles (Sonchus oleraceus).[citation needed]