Dandelions

Very soon we will treated to fields and verges glowing golden with millions of dandelions.
If like me you tend to ignore them because they are so common then it is a surprise to find out that there are some many species.One of my guide books, Wild Flowers of Britain and Ireland lists them as part of the Daisy Family, Asteraceae,  It tells me that the  Daisy family is the largest family of flowering plants and usually called composites because their flowers are packed into a compound head.
The Dandelion is a group of about 240-250 diverse short perennials, some very common, some rare, the great majority difficult for the non expert to distinguish! I feel better reading that because even looking at the yellow flowers in our lawn it is clear there are several varieties.
But the reason for this post is to include a You Tube video of a dandelion flowering in slow motion. Not something most people would sit and watch. Its impressive to see the way it moves through the stages of growth to finally disperse its seeds. Its dispersal technique is another story. I found this on the Wildlife Trusts national web site as part of its Watch Club page. Here is the video.