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Lactuca sativa

(Garden Lettuce)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Click on the language to view common names.

Common Names in Chinese:

Da Ye Wo Ju, Jing Wo Ju, Jing Yong Wo Ju, Nen Jing Wo Ju, Sheng Cai, Wo Ju, Wo Ju (Taiwan), Wo Sun

Common Names in Croatian:

Alata, Pitoma Loika

Common Names in Czech:

ástech Salátu, Drza Salti, Drza Saltus, Hlávkový Salát, Letni, Locika Salát, Locika Salátová, Salát, Salát Chestový

Common Names in Danish:

Aspargessalat, Havesalat, Salat

Common Names in Dutch:

Aspergesla, Bindsalade, Sla

Common Names in English:

Garden Lettuce, Asparagus Lettuce, Celtuce, Chinese Stem-Lettuce, Cultivated Lettuce, Lettuce, Red Sails Lettuce

Common Names in Finnish:

Parsasalaatti, Ruokasalaatti, Salaatti, Salaattii

Common Names in French:

Laitue, Laitue Asperge, Laitue Commune, Laitue Cultivée, Laitue De Chine, Laitue-Céleri

Common Names in German:

Batavia Salat, Gartenlattich, Gartensalat, Grüner Salat, Kopfsalat, Salat, Spargel-Salat, Spargelsalat, Spargelsalat ´celtus´

Common Names in Greek:

Marouli (Cyprus)

Common Names in Hebrew:

Chasa, Chasa Tarbutit

Common Names in Hungarian:

Fejes Saláta, Fejessaláta, Kerti Saláta, Leveles Saláta, Salàta

Common Names in Icelandic:

Stöngulsalat

Common Names in Italian:

Cicoria Asparago, Cicoria Di Catalogna, Insalata, Lattùga Coltivata, Lattuga

Common Names in Japanese:

Abirako, Chisa, Chisha, Chishana, Kaki Chisha, Retasu, Sutemuretasu

Common Names in Norwegian:

Aspargessalat, Hagesalat

Common Names in Persian:

Khas

Common Names in Polish:

Saata, Saata Odygowa, Saata Siewna, Saata Szparagowa, Salat Stiebielnyj, Salata, Salata Szparagowa

Common Names in Portuguese:

Alface, Alface Aspargo

Common Names in Romanian:

Salată

Common Names in Russian:

Laktuk, Laktuk Posevnoj, Salat, Salat Latuk, Salat Sparzhebyi (Salat Sparebyj), лактук, лактук посевной, салат

Common Names in Serbian:

Loika, Marula, Pargla Salata, Salata

Common Names in Slovenian:

Virhovka, Vrtna Salata

Common Names in Spanish:

Lattuga Coltivata, Lechuga, Lechuga Espárrago (Argentina)

Common Names in Swedish:

Huvudsallat, Laktuk, Sallad, Sallat, Sparrissallat, Trädgårdssallat, Trädgårdssallat

Common Names in Tagalog:

Letsugas

Common Names in Vietnamese:

Salàt

Description

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Family Compositae

The largest family of flowering plants , the Compositae (Asteraceae), comprising about 1,100 genera and more than 20,000 species and characterized by many small flowers arranged in a head looking like a single flower and subtended by an involucre of bracts. A head may consist of both ray flowers and disk flowers, as in the sunflower, of disk flowers only, as in the burdock, or of ray flowers only, as in the dandelion.

Tribe Lactuceae

The Lactuceae are a tribe of closely related genera of the sunflower family that are easily recognized because the flowering heads are composed of wholly of ligulate florets that are usually 5-lobed. Another very distinguishing feature is the milky sap . Although not apparent without magnification, the pollen is distinctive in that the spines are more or less restricted to discrete ridges or flanges on the surface of the grain. In other members of the family the spines are distributed more or less evenly over the surface of the pollen grain . The pappus usually consists of scales or stiff hairs . -- Gerald D. Carr.

Genus Lactuca

Annuals or biennials, 15-450+ cm; taprooted. Stems usually 1, usually erect , branched distally or throughout, glabrous or hairy (sometimes hispid to setose ) . Leaves basal and cauline or mostly cauline (at flowering) ; sessile or petiolate ; blades orbiculate, ovate , oblong , or lanceolate to oblanceolate , linear , or filiform , margins entire or denticulate to pinnately lobed (faces glabrous or hairy, often ± setose) . Heads borne singly or in corymbiform to paniculiform arrays. Peduncles not inflated distally, sometimes bracteate . Calyculi of 3-10+, deltate to lanceolate bractlets in 2-3 series (sometimes intergrading with phyllaries) . Involucres campanulate to cylindric , 2-5[-8+] mm diam. Phyllaries 5-13+ in ± 2 series (erect or reflexed in fruit), lanceolate to linear, usually subequal to equal, margins sometimes scarious , apices obtuse to acute. Receptacles flat to convex , pitted , glabrous, epaleate. Florets 6-50+; corollas yellow, bluish, or whitish. Cypselae reddish brown, tan, whitish, or purplish to blackish, bodies compressed to flattened, elliptic to oblong, beaks stout (0.1-1 mm, gradually or weakly set off from bodies) or filiform (2-6 mm, sharply set off from bodies), ribs 1-9 on each face, faces often transversely rugulose , usually glabrous; pappi persistent (borne on discs at tips of cypselae or beaks), obscurely double (spp. 1-2), each a minute, erose corona 0.05-0.2 mm subtending 40-80+, white or fuscous , ± equal, barbellate to barbellulate bristles in 1-2 series, or simple (spp. 3-10) of 80-120+, white, ± equal, barbellulate to nearly smooth bristles in 2-3+ series. x = 9.

Species ca. 75: North America, Mexico, Central America, Eurasia , Africa.

The common head and leaf lettuces of home gardens and commerce are derived from Lactuca sativa.[1]

Physical Description

Species Lactuca sativa

Annuals or biennials, (15-) 30-70(-100+) cm. Leaves on proximal 1/2-3/4 of each stem; blades of undivided cauline leaves ovate to orbiculate, margins entire or denticulate , seldom prickly, midribs rarely prickly-setose. Heads usually in corymbiform , sometimes in paniculiform , arrays. Involucres 8-13+ mm. Phyllaries usually erect in fruit. Florets 7-15(-30+) ; corollas yellow (sometimes streaked with violet), usually deliquescent. Cypselae: bodies pale grayish to whitish or tan, ± flattened, obovate , 3-4 mm, beaks ± filiform , 3-5 mm, faces 5-9-nerved; pappi white, 3.5-4+ mm. 2n = 18. [source]

Habit: Forb/herb

Flowers: Bloom Period: July, August, September. • Flower Color: yellow

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 12-18" tall.

Habitat

Disturbed sites, abandoned plantings ; 10-1000 m [2].

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 4,212 meters (0 to 13,819 feet).[3]

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Annual , Biennial, Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 9-12" apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 6.1 • Maximum pH: 7.8

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun .

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: Not Applicable (map)

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Lactuca scariola var. integrata Gren. & Godr. • Lactuca scariola var. integrifolia (Bogenh.) G. Beck

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Comment: Data Providers: Caribbean Checklist , African Flowering Plants Database , SANBI, New Zealand Plant Name Database, Flora Malesiana, Flora of Korea, IPNI, MesoAmericana, Flora of China Checklist, Tropicos, Euro+Med, Colombia, Northern Territory Checklist, Vi. GCC LSID: urn :lsid:compositae.org:names:B4E03B98-EE4E-4012-9EC0-828429990E8E

Last scrutiny: 14-Aug-09

An accepted name in the RHS Horticultural Database.

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Lactuca

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 533 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

L. biennis (Blue Lettuce) · L. canadensis (Canada Lettuce) · L. canadensis var. canadensis (Canada Lettuce) · L. floridana (False Lettuce) · L. floridana var. floridana (Woodland Lettuce) · L. floridana var. villosa (Woodland Lettuce) · L. graminifolia (Grass-Leaf Lettuce) · L. graminifolia var. arizonica (Grassleaf Lettuce) · L. graminifolia var. arizonica McVaugh (Grassleaf Lettuce) · L. graminifolia var. graminifolia (Grassleaf Lettuce) · L. hirsuta (Hairy Lettuce) · L. hirsuta var. albiflora (Hairy Lettuce) · L. hirsuta var. hirsuta (Hairy Lettuce) · L. hirsuta var. hirsuta Muhl. ex Nutt. (Hairy Lettuce) · L. hirsuta var. sanguinea (Hairy Lettuce) · L. hirsuta var. sanguinea (Bigelow) Fern. (Hairy Wild Lettuce) · L. indica (Indian Lettuce) · L. ludoviciana (Biannual Lettuce) · L. morssii (Morss' Lettuce) · L. perennis (Blue Lettuce) · L. plumieri (Hairless Blue-Sow-Thistle) · L. quercina (Wild Oak-Leaved Lettuce) · L. saligna (Willow-Leaf Lettuce) · L. sativa (Garden Lettuce) · L. sativa var. asparagina 'Coldhardiness' (Asparagus Lettuce) · L. sativa var. asparagina 'Spring' (Asparagus Lettuce) · L. sativa var. asparagina 'Summer 38' (Asparagus Lettuce) · L. sativa var. Bistro Salad Blend (Lettuce) · L. sativa var. longifolia 'Chartwell' (Lettuce (Romaine) 'chartwell') · L. sativa 'Abbice' (Lettuce 'abbice') · L. sativa 'Adriana' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Albanas' (Lettuce 'albanas') · L. sativa 'Aleppo' (Lettuce 'aleppo') · L. sativa 'All the Year Round' (Butterhead Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Alpen' (Head) · L. sativa 'Amaze' (Lettuce 'amaze') · L. sativa 'Ambla' (Lettuce 'amba) · L. sativa 'Ambroisie' (Lettuce 'ambroisie') · L. sativa 'Amish Deer Tongue' (Loose Leaf Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Anibal' (Lettuce 'anibal') · L. sativa 'Antares' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Antartica' (Lettuce 'antarctic) · L. sativa 'Anuenue' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Arctic King' (Butterhead Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Argentinas' (Lettuce 'argentinas') · L. sativa 'Armada' (Iceberg) · L. sativa 'Arran' (Lettuce 'arran') · L. sativa 'Arwen' (Lettuce 'arwen') · L. sativa 'Ascona Rz' (Greenhouse) · L. sativa 'Attaktion' (Butterhead Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Attrazione' (Butterhead) · L. sativa 'Australian Yellow' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Australische Gele' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Autumn Gold' (Iceberg) · L. sativa 'Aviram' (Iceberg) · L. sativa 'Babylon' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Baby Star' (Cos) · L. sativa 'Bacardi' (Butterhead Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Baglin' (Lettuce 'baglin') · L. sativa 'Bakel' (Lettuce 'bakel') · L. sativa 'Bakito' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Bakura' (Lettuce 'bakura') · L. sativa 'Balain' (Cos) · L. sativa 'Bali' (Cos) · L. sativa 'Ballade' (Head) · L. sativa 'Ballon' (Cos) · L. sativa 'Bambi' (Butterhead Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Barcelona' (Iceberg) · L. sativa 'Baroak' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Baronet' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Barosso' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Batavian Blonde' (Head) · L. sativa 'Bath' (Cos) · L. sativa 'Beatrice' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Bellisimo' (Greenhouse) · L. sativa 'Belmonte' (Lettuce 'belmonte') · L. sativa 'Beltran' (Lettuce 'beltran') · L. sativa 'Bennett' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Berna' (Cos) · L. sativa 'Big Boston' (Big Boston Lettuce Lactuca Sativa) · L. sativa 'Big Sur' (Iceberg) · L. sativa 'Bionda a Foglia' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Bionda Della 7 Lune' (Cos) · L. sativa 'Black-Seeded Simpson' (Black-Seeded Simpson Lettuce Lactuca Sativa) · L. sativa 'Blackjack' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Blonde' (Batavia Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Blonde de Paris' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Blonde De Yamoussoukro' (Head) · L. sativa 'Blushed Butter' (Cos) · L. sativa 'Blushed Butter Oaks' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Blushed Icy Oak Gene Pool' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Blush' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Bordo Rosso' (Head) · L. sativa 'Bos 9003' (Cos) · L. sativa 'Bos 9021' (Cos) · L. sativa 'Bougival' (Cos) · L. sativa 'Bredale' (Lettuce 'bredale') · L. sativa 'Brillantine' (Head) · L. sativa 'Bronze Arrow' (Lettuce) · L. sativa 'Bronze Guard' (Lettuce)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 11, 2007:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. John L. Strother "Lactuca". in Flora of North America Vol. 19, 20 and 21 Page 216, 258, 259. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. "Lactuca sativa". in Flora of North America Vol. 19, 20 and 21 Page 260, 263. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  3. Mean = 392.170 meters (1,286.647 feet), Standard Deviation = 447.810 based on 528 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 2012-05-01