Lactuca
Read about Lactuca in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Lactuca (from the old Latin name lac; referring to the milky juice). Compositae. Lettuce. A well-known group of hardy annual or perennial herbs, mostly native of the northern hemisphere. Plants 2-4 or more feet high, with alternate, variously shaped lvs. and small-panicled heads of yellow, white or blue fls.: involucre cylindric, its bracts imbricated in several series; receptacle flat, naked; rays cut off even at apex, and 5-toothed. — More than 200 specific names have been given to the genus, probably half of which are synonyms with but only 8 or 9 known in cult., and these are doubtless forms of but 2 or 3 species. Aside from garden lettuce, only 1 species appears to be in the trade, though wild plants of other species are often gathered for medicinal purposes. All of the species possess narcotic and sedative properties, the sedative known as lactucarium, or lettuce-opium, being obtained principally from the European species, L. virosa. Lettuce has been known and used as a salad from a very remote period. It is said to have been served at the tables of Persian kings 400 B. C. See Lettuce. Lactuca sativa, Lettuce. An annual plant, not known in the wild state but generally supposed to have originated from L. Scariola,Linn., in Asia. There are many garden forms assuming an endless variety of forms but which may be divided into 4 rather distinct types. Var. capitata (L. capitata). Common Cabbage Lettuce. Lvs. entire or sparingly dentate, broad, rounded, yellowish or brownish green, more or less wrinkled and in some garden varieties much curled, spreading, 6-14 in., usually quite compact. Var. intybacea (L. intybacea, L. quercina). Cut-leaved Lettuce. Lvs. 6-10 in. long, deeply and irregularly cut on the edges, loosely spreading. Var. romana, Cos Lettuce. One to 2 ft. high: lvs. entire or sparingly dentate, much longer than broad, quite erect, forming a cylindrical or conical- shaped plant. Var. angustana (L. angustana). Lvs. 1-2 in. wide, 6-12 in. long, entire, slightly spreading in habit. Lactuca plumieri, Gren. & Godr. St. about 6 ft., stout: lvs. much cut, broadly oblong, bluish on the under side: fl.-heads terminal, corymbose, the rays purple. S. France. June-Aug. L. Bourgaei (Boiss.) , is a thick-stemmed bristly-lvd. perennial often 6 ft. tall: heads small, with pinkish bracts and lilac rays. Medit. region. — L. canadensia, Linn. Biennial or annual 4-9 ft. high: lvs. entire or nearly so. Wild plants often gathered for salad.— L. perennis, Linn. Root perennial, 2-3 ft. high: Ivs. 8-10 in. long, deeply cut: fls. large, light blue. Native of Eu. — L. Scariola. Linn. Prickly Lettuce. Annual or biennial, sometimes 6 ft. high, the st. stiff and often paniculately branched: lvs. 1-2 in. wide, 4-6 in. long: fls. yellow, inconspicuous. Intro, from Old World, and now a widely distributed weed.
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Lactuca, commonly known as lettuce, is a genus of flowering plants in the Sunflower family Asteraceae. The genus includes about 100 species, distributed worldwide, but mainly in temperate Eurasia.
Its best-known representative is the garden lettuce (Lactuca sativa), with its many varieties. But many are just common weeds. They are annuals or perennials. Their height can vary between 10-180 cm. They form heads or capitula in panicles of yellow, brown or purple flowers in ray florets.
The non-edible species may contain bitter elements. Others contain a milky juice.
Lactuca species are used as food plants by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species - see list of Lepidoptera which feed on Lettuces.
Wild Lettuce
Wild Lettuce commonly refers to the more bitter cousins of common garden lettuce. This group of plants is used in everything from sleep tonics to soap to teas. The three main species of this group are Lactuca Virosa, Lactuca Canadennis, and Lactuca Serriola.
Species
- Lactuca abyssinica : (Ethiopia)
- Lactuca acanthifolia : (Crete)
- Lactuca aculeata : (Asia Minor)
- Lactuca acuminata
- Lactuca adenophora : (Armenia)
- Lactuca alabamensis : (North America)
- Lactuca alatipes : (India)
- Lactuca albiflora : (Japan)
- Lactuca alliariaefolia : (Korea)
- Lactuca alpina : (Europe)
- Lactuca altaica : (Altai Mountains)
- Lactuca amagawaensis : (Japan)
- Lactuca ambigua : (Europe)
- Lactuca amoena : (China)
- Lactuca amorgina : (Greece)
- Lactuca andongensis : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca angulata : (North America)
- Lactuca × aogashimaensis : (Japan)
- Lactuca arabica : (Arabian peninsula)
- Lactuca atlantica : (Algeria)
- Lactuca atropurpurea : (China)
- Lactuca attenuata : (Congo)
- Lactuca auriculata : (Himalaya)
- Lactuca axillaris : (North America)
- Lactuca azerbaijanica : (Iran)
- Lactuca balmesi : (Spain)
- Lactuca bauhini : (France)
- Lactuca benthamii : (Himalaya)
- Lactuca biauriculata : (Korea)
- Lactuca biennis : Tall Blue Lettuce, Wild Blue Lettuce
- Lactuca blinii : (Korea)
- Lactuca boranensis
- Lactuca brachyrrhyncha (North America, Mexico)
- Lactuca brachyrhyncha : (China)
- Lactuca brassicaefolia : (Iran)
- Lactuca brevirostris : (East Asia)
- Lactuca calophylla : (East Africa)
- Lactuca campestris
- Lactuca canadensis : Canada Lettuce, Florida Blue Lettuce, Wild Lettuce (North America)
- Lactuca canadensis var. albocaerulea (North America)
- Lactuca canadensis f. angustata (North America)
- Lactuca canadensis var. angustifolia (NE USA)
- Lactuca canadensis f. angustipes (NE USA)
- Lactuca canadensis var. canadensis : Canada Lettuce
- Lactuca canadensis var. elongata
- Lactuca canadensis f. exauriculata (NE USA)
- Lactuca canadensis var. laciniata : (NE USA)
- Lactuca canadensis var. latifolia : (NE USA)
- Lactuca canadensis var. montana : (North America)
- Lactuca canadensis var. spinulosa : (North America)
- Lactuca canadensis f. stenopoda : (North America)
- Lactuca canadensis f. villicaulis : (SE USA)
- Lactuca canescens : (Turkestan)
- Lactuca capensis : (South Africa)
- Lactuca cataonica : (Asia Minor)
- Lactuca cavaleriei : (China)
- Lactuca chelidonifolia : (Japan)
- Lactuca chondrillaeflora : (Southern Europe)
- Lactuca clarkei : (Himalaya)
- Lactuca coerulea : (Austria)
- Lactuca cooperi : (India)
- Lactuca cornigera : (Morocco)
- Lactuca corymbosa: (Congo)
- Lactuca crambifolia : (Turkestan)
- Lactuca crassifolia : (Socotra)
- Lactuca crepidioides : (China)
- Lactuca cretica : (Crete)
- Lactuca deasyi : (China)
- Lactuca debilis : (Japan)
- Lactuca decorticata : (Mediterranean)
- Lactuca deggeleriana : (Switzerland)
- Lactuca deltoidea : (Caucasus)
- Lactuca denticulata : (Japan)
- Lactuca dissecta : (Himalaya)
- Lactuca diversifolia : (China)
- Lactuca dracoglossa : (Japan)
- Lactuca dregeana : (South Africa)
- Lactuca dubyaea : (Himalaya)
- Lactuca dunlapii : (Cameroun)
- Lactuca eburnea : (Rhodos)
- Lactuca edelbergii : (Afghanistan)
- Lactuca elgonensis : (Uganda)
- Lactuca elongata
- Lactuca erythrocarpa : (China)
- Lactuca fischeriana : (Siberia)
- Lactuca fistulosa : (North America)
- Lactuca flavissima : (China)
- Lactuca floridana : Florida Lettuce, Woodland Lettuce
- Lactuca forrestii : (China)
- Lactuca forsteniana : (Sulawesi)
- Lactuca funebris : (China)
- Lactuca georgica : (Georgia, Caucasus)
- Lactuca gilletii : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca glabra : (China)
- Lactuca glandulifera : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca glareosa : (China)
- Lactuca glauciifolia : (Iran)
- Lactuca gombalana : (China)
- Lactuca goraeensis : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca gracilipetiolata : (Myanmar)
- Lactuca graeca : (Greece)
- Lactuca graminifolia : Grass-leaf Lettuce, Grassleaf Lettuce (SE USA)
- Lactuca graminifolia var. arizonica : (Arizona, Texas, New Mexico)
- Lactuca graminifolia var. mexicana : (Mexico, Guatemala)
- Lactuca grandicolla : (Japan)
- Lactuca grenieri : (France)
- Lactuca grosii : (Spain)
- Lactuca haimanniana : (North Africa)
- Lactuca hallaisanensis ; (Korea)
- Lactuca henryi : (China)
- Lactuca herbanica : (Canary Islands)
- Lactuca heyneana : (India)
- Lactuca hirsuta : Hairy Lettuce (NE USA)
- Lactuca hirsuta f. calvifolia : (NE USA)
- Lactuca hirsuta var. genuina
- Lactuca hirsuta f. indivisa : (SE USA)
- Lactuca hispida : (Asia Minor)
- Lactuca hoatiensis : (Korea)
- Lactuca holophylla : (Nigeria)
- Lactuca homblei : (Congo)
- Lactuca humilis : (Ethiopia)
- Lactuca imbricata : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca × impura : (Morocco)
- Lactuca indica : Indian Lettuce
- Lactuca inermis : (Arabian peninsula)
- Lactuca integra : (Philippines)
- Lactuca integrifolia : (North America)
- Lactuca intricata : (Asia Minor)
- Lactuca intricatissima : (Afghanistan)
- Lactuca intybacea : (Nicaragua)
- Lactuca jamaicensis : (Caribbean)
- Lactuca japonica : (Japan)
- Lactuca kanitziana : (Borneo)
- Lactuca kashmiriana : (India)
- Lactuca kawaguchii : (Tibet)
- Lactuca keiskeana : (Japan)
- Lactuca kenyaensis : (Kenya)
- Lactuca khorasanica : (Iran)
- Lactuca klossii : (SE Asia)
- Lactuca koelzii : (Afghanistan)
- Lactuca kossinskyi : (Siberia)
- Lactuca kossmatii : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca kouyangensis : (China)
- Lactuca lacerrima : (China)
- Lactuca lactucarii : (France)
- Lactuca lahulensis : (India)
- Lactuca lamii : (New Guinea)
- Lactuca lebrunii : (Congo)
- Lactuca leptocephala : (Congo)
- Lactuca lessertiana : (Himalaya)
- Lactuca leucoclada : (Afghanistan)
- Lactuca longespicata : (Congo)
- Lactuca lignea : (China)
- Lactuca longifolia : (Himalaya)
- Lactuca longirostra : (Japan)
- Lactuca ludoviciana : Biannual Lettuce, Louisiana Lettuce, Wild Lettuce (NW America)
- Lactuca luzonica : (Philippines)
- Lactuca macrophylla : (North America)
- Lactuca macrorhiza : (Himalaya)
- Lactuca macroseris : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca maculata
- Lactuca malaissei : (Congo)
- Lactuca maritima : (North America)
- Lactuca marunguensis : (Congo)
- Lactuca massaviensis : (NE Africa, Arabia)
- Lactuca matsumurae : (Japan)
- Lactuca microcephala : (Asia Minor)
- Lactuca microsperma : (New Guinea)
- Lactuca morssii : Morss' Lettuce (NE USA)
- Lactuca mulgedioides : (Kurdistan)
- Lactuca mulsanti : (Spain)
- Lactuca multipes : (China)
- Lactuca muralis : (Europe)
- Lactuca mwinilungensis : (Zambia)
- Lactuca nakaiana : (Korea)
- Lactuca nana : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca napifera : (China)
- Lactuca numidica : (Algeria)
- Lactuca nummularifolia : (Korea)
- Lactuca nuristanica : (Afghanistan)
- Lactuca oblongifolia : (North America)
- Lactuca orientalis : (Himalaya)
- Lactuca ovatifolia : (North America)
- Lactuca pakistanica : (Pakistan)
- Lactuca pallidicoerulea : (South Africa)
- Lactuca palmensis : (Canary Islands)
- Lactuca paradoxa : (Ethiopia)
- Lactuca parishii : (Thailand)
- Lactuca paulayana : (Socotra)
- Lactuca perennis : (Southern Europe)
- Lactuca persica : (Iran)
- Lactuca petrensis : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca picridiformis : (Pakistan)
- Lactuca pilosa : (North America)
- Lactuca plumieri : (France)
- Lactuca polycephala : (India, Myanmar)
- Lactuca polyclada : (Iran)
- Lactuca polyphylla : (NW USA)
- Lactuca praecox : (Zimbabwe)
- Lactuca prattii : (China)
- Lactuca procera
- Lactuca procumbens : (India)
- Lactuca prolixa : (New Guinea)
- Lactuca pseudo-sonchus : (China)
- Lactuca pseudoumbrella : (Himalaya)
- Lactuca pulchella (NW America)
- Lactuca pumila : (Afghanistan)
- Lactuca pygmaea : (Java)
- Lactuca pyrenaica
- Lactuca quercina : (Southern Europa, Caucasus)
- Lactuca quercus : (Korea)
- Lactuca querna : (Caspian Sea)
- Lactuca racemosa : (Armenia)
- Lactuca raddiana : (Japan)
- Lactuca ramosissima : (France)
- Lactuca rapunculoides : (Himalaya)
- Lactuca rariflora : (Ethiopia)
- Lactuca repens : (Japan)
- Lactuca retrorsidens : (Borneo)
- Lactuca reviersiana : (Morocco)
- Lactuca reviersii : (Morocco)
- Lactuca riparia : (Thailand)
- Lactuca rogersii : (Madagascar)
- Lactuca rosularis : (Iran)
- Lactuca rubrolutea : (China)
- Lactuca sagittata : (Southern Europe, Asia Minor)
- Lactuca salehensis : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca saligna : Willow-leaf Lettuce, Willowleaf Lettuce (Europe, North Africa, Asia Minor)
- Lactuca sanguinea
- Lactuca sassandrensis : (Ivory Coast)
- Lactuca sativa : Garden Lettuce, Lettuce
- Lactuca scandens : (China)
- Lactuca scariola : (Europe)
- Lactuca scarioloides : (Iran)
- Lactuca schulzeana : (Angola)
- Lactuca schweinfurthii : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca scoparia : (Afghanistan)
- Lactuca semibarbata : (Congo)
- Lactuca senecio : (Korea)
- Lactuca sereti : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca serratifolia : (Spain)
- Lactuca serriola : Prickly Lettuce, China Lettuce, Wild Lettuce (Southern Europe)
- Lactuca seticuspis : (Syria)
- Lactuca setosa : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca sibirica : (Siberia)
- Lactuca sonchifolia : (Europe)
- Lactuca sonchoides : (Asia Minor)
- Lactuca songeensis : (Tanzania)
- Lactuca soongarica
- Lactuca souliei : (China)
- Lactuca spicata
- Lactuca spinidens : (Siberia)
- Lactuca stebbinsii : (Angola)
- Lactuca steelei : (North America)
- Lactuca stenocephala : (Nigeria)
- Lactuca stipulata : (Congo)
- Lactuca stolonifera : (Japan)
- Lactuca sylvatica : (NW USA)
- Lactuca taitoensis : (China)
- Lactuca taliiensis : (China)
- Lactuca taquetii : (Korea)
- Lactuca taraxacifolia : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca taraxacum : (Korea)
- Lactuca tatarica : Blue Lettuce, Chickory Lettuce, Russian Blue Lettuce (Asia, India)
- Lactuca tenerrima : (Southern Europe, Morocco)
- Lactuca terrae-novae : Newfoundland Lettuce (Newfoundland)
- Lactuca tetrantha : (Cyprus)
- Lactuca thibetica : (China)
- Lactuca thirionni : (China)
- Lactuca thunbergii : (Japan)
- Lactuca tinctociliata : (Angola)
- Lactuca tricostata : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca trifida : (China)
- Lactuca triquetra : (Syria)
- Lactuca tsarongensis : (Tibet)
- Lactuca tuberosa : (Guinea)
- Lactuca ugandensis : (Congo, Uganda)
- Lactuca umbellata : (New Guinea)
- Lactuca undulata var. albicaulis : (China)
- Lactuca vanderysti : (Congo)
- Lactuca vanensis : (Armenia)
- Lactuca vaniotii : (Korea)
- Lactuca varianii : (Angola)
- Lactuca verdickii : (tropical Africa)
- Lactuca villosa
- Lactuca viminea: (Mediterranean)
- Lactuca virosa: Wild Lettuce, Bitter Lettuce (Europe)
- Lactuca visianii : (Europe)
- Lactuca wallichiana : (Afghanistan, Nepal)
- Lactuca watsoniana : (Azores)
- Lactuca welwitschii : (Madagascar, Angola)
- Lactuca wilhelmsiana : (Armenia)
- Lactuca yemensis : (Arabian peninsula)
- Lactuca zambeziaca : (Angola, Zambia)