The Dandelion, of the genus Taraxacum and of the class Magnoliopsida, is a close relative of the Sunflower. The name Dandelion comes from the French phrase for ¡¥Dandelions¡¦, dent de lion, due to the similarity between the shape of the plant's leaves and the canines of a lion, while its generic name, Taraxacum Officinale was influenced by numerous medical properties of the plant. Taraxacum which means ¡¥remedy for ailments¡¦ and Officinale, which states that the plant has medicinal attributes. Other popular names for this plant include pig's snout, priest's crown, and pee-wee bed. Framed by shiny, glabrous, jagged leaves, the bare, hollow, magenta-tinged stems (which support the flower heads) bear bright yellow caps of countless tiny, tie-shaped golden petals, which after fertilization ripen into fluffy white balls containing seeds . The leaves that rise from the tap root are naturally positioned so that rain can slide directly into them, thus keeping them well nourished. This "common meadow grass" is native to Greece and has been introduced into "all northern temperate zones". They are now so abundant that they crowd and strangle fields almost everywhere in the world and have earned themselves the reputation of "King of the Weeds". Dandelion, surprisingly, has a large number of uses, both nutritional and medicinal. In ancient times and even today the entire system was used. Wine was extracted from the flowers; the leaves were used as vegetables, while the stems and roots were used mainly as medicines. Nowadays in Western medicine, this herb is barely mentioned, but the use for culinary purposes is still thriving, especially in European countries such as France. Nutritionally, dandelion appeals to both the animal kingdom and humans. They provide pollen and nectar to bees all spring and even into late fall, when bees, the usual sources of honey, stop flowering. This reduces the time that bees require artificial food, which benefits beekeepers. Dandelion not only attracts bees, but research has confirmed that over 93 types of insects rely on its nectar, while animals such as small birds, pigs, goats and rabbits eagerly devour it. The leaves can be cut into pieces and used as a filling for sandwiches; they are also used to create herbal beer which, compared to regular beer, is much cheaper and less likely to get a person drunk. Wine strengthens and tones, being a tonic, it improves blood circulation. Taproot, after being dried, chopped, roasted and ground into a fine powder, was found to be an "almost indistinguishable" substitute for real coffee.