Dandelion seed head silhouetted against a light. The seed head of this dandelion plant (Taraxacum officinale) consists of a mass of individual seeds attached at one end to the central stalk, and at the other end to a feathery parachute-like structure known as a pappus. The fine hairs of the pappus allow the seed to be lifted from the seed head and carried a long distance by the wind.