As a change of pace, I set out this morning for Piney Woods Church Road by way of Hutcheson Ferry Road. Glancing in the ditch at the end of Piney Woods Church Road, I saw what I thought at first were unusually small dandelions, with flower heads perhaps half an inch across. What I found suspicious is that there were so many, all of which were about the same size — leading me to think that this might be a different flower altogether. Returning home, I did a quick internet search and discovered that they are, in fact, dwarf dandelions (Krigia virginica), native annual wildflowers common to roadsides, fields, and lawns in the eastern half of the United States. Despite its similar look, the dwarf dandelion is only distantly related to the non-native true dandelion (Taraxicum officinale).
