A perennial herb, with a vertical, cylindrical, tapering root often a foot or more in length and ½ to 1 inch in diameter, simple or slightly branched, smooth, yellowish-brown externally, white within. Leaves few, all from the crown of the root (short rzhizome), somewhat spreading, sessile, about 6 to 9 inches long, oval-oblong or slightly obovate, acute at the apex, attenuated and tapering at the base, very deeply jagged almost to the base in a pinnatifid manner, the segments triangular, horizontal or backward-pointing, very acute, 5 or 6 on either side, margin with small unequal, attenuated, spreading teeth or nearly entire, glabrous, solitary and terminating erect, cylindrical, tapering, weak, very hollow, smooth and glossy, pale-green scapes from the axils of the involucre in several rows, the innermost row of 12 to 18, erect before and during flowering, then closed, strongly deflexed in fruit, often somewhat connected by their margins below, oblong-linear, blunt and discoloured at the apex, thickened and hard at the base.

All parts of the plant, but especially the root, are slightly aperient, cholagogue, depurative, strongly diuretic, hepatic, laxative, stomachic and tonic. The root is also experimentally cholagogue, hypoglycaemic and a weak antibiotic against yeast infections; antitumor and hypoglycemic (plant); prevents gall and kidney stone formation and aids in eliminating these stones. if present (root and leaf).

Plants for a Future
Botanical.com
Australian Naturopathic Network

Ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, choline, inulin, linoleic acid, mannitol, niacin, nicotinic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid, stigmasterol, tannin, taraxacerin, taraxacin (root); beta-amyrin, lecithin, lutein, taraxien (flower); lactupicrin and P-hydroyphenol (aerial part); taraxasterol and humotaraxasterol; ascorbic acid, luteolin-7-glucoside, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamins C and B2 (leaf); beta-sitosterol, caffeic acid, coumestrol, cycloartenol, p-coumaric acid (plant)

Maladies of the liver, gall bladder, bowel and kidney, as a tonic, diuretic, laxative and for increasing the secretion of gastric juices (root); as a compress in rheumatism and complaints due to uric acid accumulation in joint areas (leaf); used internally in the treatment of gall bladder and urinary disorders, gallstones, jaundice, cirrhosis, dyspepsia with constipation, oedema associated with high blood pressure and heart weakness, chronic joint and skin complaints, gout, eczema and acne (plant); used to remove corns, warts and verrucae, has a specific action on inflammations of the gall bladder and is also believed to remove stones in the liver (latex).

Dandelion must not be used during pregnancy.

Chandel et al., Biodiversity in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in India.