Johnny-go-to-bed-at-noon

Tragopogon pratensis, the meadow goat's-beard or Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon, is a biennial or short-lived perennial herb of the family Asteraceae growing 30 to 70 cm tall. It has grass-like, channelled, clasping leaves that taper to a long fine point and exude milky latex when broken. The large solitary flower heads consist entirely of yellow ray florets and are subtended by long narrow green bracts that usually project beyond the rays; the heads open in the morning and close around midday. The fruiting head is a large, spherical, dandelion-like 'clock' of plumed achenes. It flowers in early summer. Native to Europe and western Asia and naturalised in North America, meadow goat's-beard grows in meadows, grassy banks, roadsides and waste ground. The fleshy taproot and young shoots have been eaten as a vegetable.