Leontodon tuberosus

Leontodon tuberosus, Thrincia tuberosa, Bulbous Dandelion, Tuberous Hawkbit,
Hebrew: כתמה עבת-שורשים, Arabic: يعضيض عسقولي

Scientific name:   Leontodon tuberosus L.
Synonym name:   Thrincia tuberosa (L.)DC.
Common name:   Bulbous Dandelion, Tuberous Hawkbit
Hebrew name:   כתמה עבת-שורשים
Arabic name:   يعضيض عسقولي
Family:   Compositae / Asteraceae, מורכבים


Life form:   Hemicryptophyte
Stems:   30 cm
Leaves:   Rosette, entire, dentate or serrate
Inflorescence:   Flowers are arranged solitary
Flowers:   Yellow ligulate flowers
Fruits / pods:   Achenes
Flowering Period:   January, February, March, April, May, December
Habitat:   Batha, Phrygana
Distribution:   Mediterranean Woodlands and Shrublands, Semi-steppe shrublands, Shrub-steppes, Montane vegetation of Mt. Hermon
Chorotype:   Mediterranean
Summer shedding:   Ephemeral


Derivation of the botanical name:

Leontodon, leon, λεων, οντιϛ, a lion; odous, tooth, because of the toothed leaves.

tuberosus, producing tubers, or swollen into a tuber.
Thrincia, named from the Greek fhrinkos, a feather; in allusion to the feathery pappus. The name Dandelion is said to be a corruption of the French “dent-de-lion”, meaning lion’s tooth and referring to the leaf outline which is said to resemble that of the lion’s tooth.

The Hebrew name: כתמה, ketema, from katom, yellow, from ketem; the name ‘ketema’ emphasizes the yellow-orange color of the flower, reminiscent of the color of gold.

  • The standard author abbreviation L. is used to indicate Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778), a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, the father of modern taxonomy.
  • The standard author abbreviation DC. is used to indicate Augustin Pyramus de Candolle (1778 – 1841), a Swiss botanist.