Classification |
DANDELIONS FALL UNDER THE CATEGORY . . .
Domain – Eukarya Part of the Eukarya domain because they contain eukaryotic cells, they are multicellular-nuclear organelles, and have a phospholipid bilayer membrane.
Kingdom – Plantae Part of the Plantae kingdom because they contain chlorophyll, chloroplasts (therefore photosynthetic), and have cell walls made of cellulose.
Phylum – Anthophyta (Angiosperms) Part of the Anthophyta phylum because they reproduce by covered seeds and go through double fertilization, therefore, part of the angiosperm lineage.
Class – Magnoliopsida Part of the Magnoliopsida class because they are dicots, meaning they have two cotyledons per embryo, pollen with three pores, and flower parts in multiples of 4 or 5.
Order – Asterales Part of the Asterales order because they contain an inferior ovary and have a central flowering head.
Family – Asteraceae Part of the Asteraceae family because they are dicotyledonous flowering plants and are composites. The flower head is actually composed of many individual florets called discs and/or rays.
Genus – Taraxacum Part of the Taraxacum genus because they have tap roots that go straight down into the soil and are perennial plants, meaning they can live year after year.
Species – Taraxacum officinale Part of the officinale because they are yellow with their leaves turned up. |
Phylogenetic Tree
Oldest Living
This phylogenetic tree represents the Dandelions closest relatives within the phylum Angiophyta and where they fit within the vast majority of flowers living on the world. |
DETAILS BEHIND THE TREE Composites are flowers that have many florets crowded together making one flower head. There are two types of composites, the disc and the ray. The disc is radially symmetric, usually small, having 5 petal lobes. The ray is bilaterally symmetric with long, flat petals. Most of the composite’s seeds have parachutes to help in wind dispersion.
DISCS RAYS Thistle, Joe-Pye Weed, Ironweed Dandelions Daisies (yellow, white and green) Daisies (white) Sunflowers (yellow or dark) Sunflower (yellow, purple, white) Aster, Ragwort, and Inula Aster, Ragwort, and Inula
Since some of these can be found in both groups, the phylogenetic tree was designed around the seeds containing parachutes. |