Close-lobed dandelion vs Long-eared Hedgehog

Taraxacum densilobum compared with Hemiechinus auritus

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Close-lobed dandelion	Long-eared Hedgehog
Kingdom	Plantae (Plants)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order	Asterales (Daisies & Sunflowers)	Erinaceomorpha (Erinaceomorpha)
Family	Asteraceae (Daisy Family)	Erinaceidae
Genus	Taraxacum	Hemiechinus
Species	Taraxacum densilobum	Hemiechinus auritus

Conservation Status

Close-lobed dandelion

LC — Least Concern

Long-eared Hedgehog

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Close-lobed dandelion	Long-eared Hedgehog
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Close-lobed dandelion

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Long-eared Hedgehog

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Cyprus, Spain, and Ukraine.

Close-lobed dandelion

Close-lobed dandelion refers to a microspecies within the extraordinarily diverse aggregate Taraxacum officinale sensu lato (family Asteraceae), the common dandelion complex. Dandelions are notoriously complex taxonomically due to widespread apomixis — asexual seed production without fertilization — which generates thousands of clonal microspecies that are morphologically distinguishable but reproductively isolated. Close-lobed forms are characterized by leaf lobes that are positioned closely together, with shorter spaces between the lobes than in more deeply divided or open-lobed morphs. This leaf morphology is one of dozens of characters — including lobe shape, involucre bract posture, achene color, and scape characteristics — used by Taraxacum specialists to delineate the hundreds or thousands of named microspecies. Dandelions of all morphologies are ecologically important as early-season nectar and pollen sources for bumblebees, honeybees, and numerous other pollinators. Their deep taproots break up compacted soils and bring nutrients from depth, and their seeds provide food for finches and other seed-eating birds across open habitats in temperate regions.