Chapter 1
The ultimate botanical survivalists
Chapter 2
The flying physics of the puffball
Chapter 3
From royal salads to bed-wetting teas
Chapter 4
Colonizing the globe on the Mayflower
Chapter 5
The high-tech future of the humble weed
Ch 3 · From royal salads to bed-wetting teas
futura Dandelion
Look close at my leaves, they will tell you the truth, My French name translates to a lion's sharp tooth!
futura Traditional European medicine highly valued this powerful diuretic plant despite its funny English folk name, piss-a-bed.
futura People historically cultivated dandelions as a vital source of early spring vitamins.
Fun Fact
Royal salads: In Victorian England, dandelions were considered a delicacy, and wealthy elites grew them in greenhouses to serve in fancy, upscale sandwiches!
Glossary
pissenlit (noun)
A dandelion, especially when the bitter leaves are harvested to be used as a salad green. King Louis XIV regularly drank a therapeutic infusion brewed from the plant to utilize its diuretic benefits.
A dandelion, especially when the bitter leaves are harvested to be used as a salad green. King Louis XIV regularly drank a therapeutic infusion brewed from the plant to utilize its diuretic benefits.
Quiz
What does the modern French word for dandelion, 'pissenlit,' literally translate to in English?
Gossip
If you had to replace coffee with a herbal alternative, would you try dandelion root?
Quiz
Which English folk name for the dandelion matches the literal meaning of the French 'pissenlit'?
Quiz
Which part of the dandelion plant is completely safe and edible for humans to consume?
Quiz
What popular morning beverage can be made by roasting and grinding mature dandelion roots?
Quiz
What traditional, golden-colored fermented beverage is made using only the yellow petals of the dandelion?
Quiz
Which of these languages does NOT use a direct translation of 'lion's tooth' for the dandelion?