Dandelion clock. Parachute-borne seeds leaving the seed head or 'clock' of a dandelion plant, (Taraxacum sp.). Each individual seed is attached to a parachute of fine hairs, known as a pappus, which is lifted from the seed head and carried away by the wind. This type of seed dispersal is typical of the Compositae, the family of plants to which the dandelion belongs.