All of these blossoms are shut up at first in a case of green, leaf-like parts, and form the bud.
The bud.
As the bud grows older its stem lengthens a little, as you can see in the picture on page 9—unless it is on a lawn. Then it does not lengthen; it seems to know the lawn mower will come along and take off its head if it grows taller, so it stays close to the ground. After a while the green bud opens, the many little yellow flowers push their way out, and the dandelion is in bloom.
Towards night the dandelion shuts up again; the tiny yellow flowers press close together, and the outer covering of green bracts, as they are called, closes up, too, and shuts them in all snug and safe.
When the dandelion has once closed it does not open again. But its stem, which was very short, begins to lengthen.
It is a hollow stem, as you know, and has a bitter, milky juice.
Longer and longer grows the stem with the closed-up flower cluster at its top. But this wise stem does not stand up. Oh, no, indeed! it lies down or leans over, concealed by the grass and weeds, unless it grows on a lawn. Then the wise stem does not lengthen much; it is afraid of that lawn mower.
If the dandelion is growing among tall grass, the stem will grow very long indeed; if among short grass it will not grow so long.