Japanese White. Taraxacum albidum, White Dandelion, Nagasaki, Japan
The Hortus Bergianus (Bergianska Trädgården) at Stockholm, Sweden, had long been interested in the cultivation of Dandelions - indeed! the rest of mankind is intent on eliminating them from lawns. In 1899, Gustav Adolf Hugo Dahlstedt (1856-1934), the foremost Dandelion expert there, received from his colleagues at Tokyo what was called 'Taraxacum officinale (Web.) Wigg. var. albiflorum Makino'. He proceeded at once to cultivate it and reported in 1907 that the garden had been successful over many generations of the plant.
Though he must've been busy in 1907 - he was awarded an honorary doctorate that year - Dahlstedt found time to write his famous article on the kinds of Dandelion (published in 1909). He's the first to give a long and learned description of our Taraxacum albidum. He strays a bit from science to aesthetics in proclaiming in understatement how beautiful his plant is.
Indeed, seeing it myself - flashing brightly in the sunlight on Mount Nabekanmuri - I can well imagine his enthusiasm. I was surprised to read that this particular specifically Japanese Taraxacum needs no pollination in order to produce viable seeds. Almost getting stung by a visiting bee, I imagine that insect served only its own interests of gathering pollen or nectar... Yes, the well-known yellow dandelions are in evidence here, too. In fact, there are more of those than of this white one, but that may be due to the particular time of my visit.
This microview of nature was amazing, but the view on this bright day from the top of the hill towards the great city of Nagasaki and to the Megami Bridge, spanning the entrance to the harbor, was majestic as well.
Japanese White. Taraxacum albidum, White Dandelion, Nagasaki, Japan
The Hortus Bergianus (Bergianska Trädgården) at Stockholm, Sweden, had long been interested in the cultivation of Dandelions - indeed! the rest of mankind is intent on eliminating them from lawns. In 1899, Gustav Adolf Hugo Dahlstedt (1856-1934), the foremost Dandelion expert there, received from his colleagues at Tokyo what was called 'Taraxacum officinale (Web.) Wigg. var. albiflorum Makino'. He proceeded at once to cultivate it and reported in 1907 that the garden had been successful over many generations of the plant.
Though he must've been busy in 1907 - he was awarded an honorary doctorate that year - Dahlstedt found time to write his famous article on the kinds of Dandelion (published in 1909). He's the first to give a long and learned description of our Taraxacum albidum. He strays a bit from science to aesthetics in proclaiming in understatement how beautiful his plant is.
Indeed, seeing it myself - flashing brightly in the sunlight on Mount Nabekanmuri - I can well imagine his enthusiasm. I was surprised to read that this particular specifically Japanese Taraxacum needs no pollination in order to produce viable seeds. Almost getting stung by a visiting bee, I imagine that insect served only its own interests of gathering pollen or nectar... Yes, the well-known yellow dandelions are in evidence here, too. In fact, there are more of those than of this white one, but that may be due to the particular time of my visit.
This microview of nature was amazing, but the view on this bright day from the top of the hill towards the great city of Nagasaki and to the Megami Bridge, spanning the entrance to the harbor, was majestic as well.