From Greek leon leontos, lion and odon dentists, tooth : Dandelion, genus of herbaceous plants of the asteraceae family with many species of toothed leaves. Interestingly the plant popularly known as dandelion, bitter chicory, bitterness, lechiriega, hair. . . it is not now named after taraxacum officinale which derives from the Arabic tharakhchakon, bitter grass, similar to lettuce.