If there is not breeze enough to carry away the dandelion akenes, when night approaches or a storm gathers the careful parent plant does not allow these silky treasures to become soaked and spoiled by moisture.
Each little plume shuts up again! The silky tufts no longer spread out, and the green bracts, too, turn up and cover them safely as before. They go to sleep, hoping, no doubt, for better luck next day.
There is no better fun than to watch the dandelions do these things.
When children blow the heads of dandelions away, that is just what the dandelions want, for it sets all the akenes flying about in the air above the earth.
The main thing for a dandelion seed is to get started. If it can get up in the air free from the weeds and grasses, it will be sure to take quite a journey and will doubtless settle in a new home.
The bitter milky juice of the dandelion very likely protects it from being eaten by various plant-eating creatures.
This juice is familiar to country children who pick the long stems of the dandelions, split them, and “curl” the parts in their mouths.
These pretty stems make very long and fine curls, as every little country girl knows.
