The Collaborative International Dictionary
Dandelion \Dan"de*li`on\, n. [F. dent de lion lion's tooth, fr. L. dens tooth + leo lion. See Tooth, n., and Lion.] (Bot.) A well-known plant of the genus Taraxacum ( Taraxacum officinale, formerly called Taraxacum Dens-leonis and Leontodos Taraxacum) bearing large, yellow, compound flowers, and deeply notched leaves.
Wikipedia
Taraxacum officinale, the common dandelion (often simply called " dandelion"), is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant of the family Asteraceae (Compositae).
It can be found growing in temperate regions of the world, in lawns, on roadsides, on disturbed banks and shores of water ways, and other areas with moist soils. T. officinale is considered a weed, especially in lawns and along roadsides, but it is sometimes used as a medical herb and in food preparation. Common dandelion is well known for its yellow flower heads that turn into round balls of silver tufted fruits that disperse in the wind called "blowballs" or "clocks" (in both British and American English).
Usage examples of "taraxacum officinale".
Automatically as breathing, she murmured the name of each weed as she tossed it into a pile by the open driveway gate: Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Convolvulus arvensis, Taraxacum officinale.
It referred to inert vegetable matter, minimal water content, insignificant mineral traces, non-toxic alkaloids, all derived from a plant of the genus Compositae, probably Taraxacum Officinale, or the common dandelion.