Tarassaco (Taraxacum officinale)

The Common Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) ,is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae.

It is growing spontaneously in the Mediterranean and in places with temperate climate. In the province of Salerno is a plant quite widespread, easy to find in the fallow fields and along roadsides.

It is known since antiquity and has been used as a medical herb. In fact, the dandelion is the well-known for its yellow flowers that in the summer turns into round balls of silvery coloured tufts that children likes to play with.

The fruits are equipped with a crown of hairs inserted on a long stalk, which then spreads the fruits with the wind as a parachute.

Dandelion leaves are popular in spring salad. They have a pleasant bitter taste and aroma and they are eaten either alone or together with watercress and other spring herbs.

Its effectiveness on the stimulation of the human digestion has been known for centuries. The draining, detoxifying and diuretic properties of dandelion state so in the treatment of 'obersità, the gallbladder disorders and rheumatic diseases as well as it is cholesterol lowering.

The dandelion is used by both in the kitchen and in the pharmacy-based therapy where dandelion is called "tarassacoterapia".