From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
See text.
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 that feed on lettuces.
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.
Category: Asteraceae
