mniszka

Mniszka, or Taraxacum officinale, is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae. In Polish it is commonly called mniszek pospolity or mniszek lekarski. The plant is widely distributed in temperate regions and is recognizable by its rosette of lobed leaves and bright yellow flower heads.

Plants form a low rosette of deeply lobed leaves; a single flowering stalk rises, bearing a bright yellow composite head that matures into a round seedhead with white plumes. The plant exudes a milky latex when cut.

Native to Eurasia, mniszka is now naturalized and widespread in temperate regions around the world. It frequently appears in lawns, meadows, pastures, and disturbed soils. It is pollinated by insects and disperses its seeds by wind.

All parts are edible: young leaves are used in salads and soups, flowers can be used to make wine or syrup, and roots are sometimes roasted as a coffee substitute. It has a long history of use in traditional medicine as a diuretic and digestive aid, though modern clinical evidence for medicinal benefits is limited.

Mniszka is a hardy plant that tolerates mowing and poor soils. It reproduces mainly by wind-dispersed seeds and can become a persistent weed in turf, though it also provides forage for pollinators and can contribute to biodiversity in some settings.