Taraxacum arakii is an
indigenous-to-Japan dandelion. One of the striking differences from
T. officinale, a common species widely spread throughout the
country, is that its outer involucral bracts stick to the interior
ones, while T. officinale, the exterior involucral stuff essentially
bends outward. As T. arakii is relatively rare across Shimane,
Shimane Red Data Book lists it as a VU. With this native species,
the outer involucral bracts, which are ovate long-oblong and the
tips caudate, reach half the length of the interior ones. Bloom
time: April-May. |