[Wikipedia] Hybridization: Taraxacum ceratophorum is an obligate outcrosser and is capable of hybridization with other dandelion species such as T. officinale, as they can occur together and share a flowering period. T. ceratophorum produced viable seed when subjected to interspecific hand pollination with pollen from T. officinale. The molecular analysis of the resulting F1 offspring revealed that only 33.2% of the germinating seeds were hybrids, while the rest were offspring resulting from a breakdown in self-incompatibility known as the mentor effect. Although the mentor effect aids in minimizing hybrid production, the asymmetric direction of hybridization presents a potential risk of genetic assimilation.[7] Taraxacum ceratophorum, possesses a higher water-use efficiency than both T. officinale and their hybrid offspring. It is therefore theorized that arid habitats prone to drought may provide refuge for the species.[8] (link added by Mary Ann Machi)