Selected old Taraxacum (Compositae) names, either neglected or commonly misinterpreted in the literature, are evaluated on the basis of authentic material. Taraxacum dissectum (Ledeb.) Ledeb. is shown to be confined to SC Siberia and conspecific with T. baicalense Schischk. T. lyratum (Ledeb.) DC. is confined to the Altai: it is absent from N America. T eriupodum DC. and T. wattii Hook.f. proved to belong to a single sexual widely distributed species. Taraxacum parvulum [Wall, ex] DC. is shown to be conspecific with T. himalaicum Soest.