Single Record

Species: Taraxacum erythrospermum [Taraxacum laevigatum var. erythrospermum] [Taraxacum officinale var. erythrospermum]

PhotoRecords: YES Rich Haswell: Rio Grande Co, Del Norte between street and lawn 18 June 2023

Comments: Collectors have found red-seeded dandelion in nearly all vegetative zones and mountain regions of the Watershed, including the towns of Alamosa and Del Norte. Ackerfield reports an elevation range of 5,000'-10,500'. Superficially the species is very similar to the one other exotic dandelion of the region, the ubiquitous Taraxacum officinale, and therefore may be under-collected. For identification of T. erythrospermum the color of the cypselae cannot be relied on entirely, since immature cypselae are white and only gradually become one of many shades of red, brown, purple, and brick. Look also for the over-all smallness of the plant; the protuberance at the end of some involucral bracts; the deeply lacerate, triangular, and backward pointing leaf blades; and the winged lower stem of the leaves. The species is recorded from all states of the USA except Florida, Louisiana, and Nevada. It follows the Rio Grande drainage about two-thirds of the way down New Mexico. The number of proposed names is indicative of the difficulties of the genus Taraxacum, which FNA calls "a taxonomy and nomenclature in utter confusion." Ackerfield 2022 and others call it "Taraxacum laevigatum."