Taraxacum japonicum ("Kansaitanpopo")

Japanese name: カンサイタンポポ （関西蒲公英）
Scientific name: Taraxacum japonicum

[Overview]
A perennial about 20 cm tall, found in fields away from urban areas on lowlands, on embankments, and on the ridges between rice paddies.
Milky sap emerges when the stem or leaves are damaged.
The leaves are simple and basal, oblanceolate, 15–30 cm long and 3–5 cm wide, and either pinnately lobed or entire.
A single yellow flower head 2–3 cm across is borne at the tip of a flower stalk rising erect from a leaf axil.
The florets making up the flower head are all ligulate florets, numbering 50–100.
The involucre is green, and at flowering time it is 1.2–1.5 cm long; the outer involucral bracts are oblong-lanceolate to ovate-oblong, 2/5–3/5 the length of the involucre, and do not curl back.
The outer involucral bracts have dense marginal hairs, and there are no horn-like projections, or if present they are small, 1.5 mm or less in length.
The fruit is a pale yellowish-brown, ovate achene with a pappus, and it is carried by the wind.

[Uses]
The young leaves and flowers are edible.
The roots are roasted and used as a coffee substitute.
It is also used medicinally.

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