I’m surprised there were no guesses for mystery seed of the week, because it is a plant found throughout the world.

dandelion-flower

Dandelion flowers are popular with insects. Can you spot a glimpse of an insect in this photo?

Although we think of the above structure as a single flower, it is actually a bunch of tiny flowers, leading to a cluster of seeds. Each seed has its own parachute.

dandelion-top

If you look closely, you can see numerous interesting hooks or barbs on the seeds.

dandelion-seed

I have heard that the name dandelion comes from French, dent de lion, and means lion’s teeth. The name refers to the sharply cut, jagged edges of the leaves.

dandelion

What do you think of dandelions?