Is bittercress a dandelion? The difference between bittercress and dandelion

Bitter greens and dandelions are two kinds of spring edible wild vegetables, similar in shape, in the taste is also with a bitter taste, it is difficult to distinguish, and even many people say that bitter greens and dandelions are a kind of plant, the following look at bitter greens is dandelion, bitter greens and dandelions, what are the differences?

Bitter greens are dandelions?

The bitter greens are not dandelions. The bitter greens and dandelion are two different plants, although from the division of the plant belongs to the family Asteraceae, but in the nutritional composition, medicinal efficacy, appearance and other aspects of a large difference.

Differences between bittercress and dandelion

Different nutritional composition

Bitter cabbage: Bitter cabbage young seedlings contain protein, fat, crude fiber, sugar, carotene, vitamins, in addition to dandelion since the alcohol, mannitol, wax alcohol, choline, tartaric acid, etc. Dandelion: Dandelion is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C and potassium, also contains iron, calcium, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, magnesium, vitamin B6, folic acid and copper. The specific elemental content is mainly water, with 86% water, 1.6 grams of protein, 5.3 grams of carbohydrates and about 108.8 kJ of calories per 60 grams of raw dandelion leaves.

The leaves are different

Bitter greens: The leaves of bitter greens are tufted and wither when the flowers bloom, are ovate and oval overall, not divided, and have blunt or pointed leaf tips. The base of the leaf is cuneate, with coarse serrations arranged on the top of the edge, and the top is dark green, while the back is light green. There is no hair cover. Dandelion: obovate-lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate, blunt or acute at the tip, with undulating teeth or pinnately parted margins, with large apical lobes that are triangular or triangular-hastate in shape. The margins of the leaves are serrated, spreading or growing backwards, with small teeth between the lobes, tapering into a petiole at the base, and the petiole and main veins are reddish-purple and covered with arachnoid white pilose.

Flowers are different

Bittercress: The involucre of bittercress flowers is thread-shaped and small; the bracts are also small; so is the whole flower. The corolla is campanulate, yellow in color, with an inconspicuous cyst at the basal side, covered with white villous inside, and the corolla lobes appear ovate Dandelion: The overall color of the flower is white. The involucre of the flower is campanulate and overall light green; there are 2 to 3 layers of bracts. The outer involucral bracts are ovate with broad membranous margins above, showing light green at the base while purplish-red above.

Can bitter greens and dandelions be eaten together

Bittercress and dandelion are not recommended to be eaten together. Both bitter greens and dandelion are cold foods in terms of their food properties. Both foods contain a lot of cold energy, so eating them together can easily cause excess cold energy, which can lead to spleen and stomach deficiency, menstrual cramps, etc. In addition, both bitter greens and dandelion are bitter foods, so eating them together with too much bitterness can be very stimulating to the mouth, affecting the taste of food and reducing appetite.