''Lactuca floridana'', commonly known as woodland lettuce, Florida lettuce, or false lettuce is a North American species of

wild lettuce Wild lettuce is a common name for several lactucarium-containing plants related to lettuce (''Lactuca sativa''). The name most often refers to ''Lactuca virosa'' (Europe, Asia, introduced to North America), though it may also refer to: * ''Lactuc ...

. It is native across much of central Canada and the eastern and central United States. ''Lactuca floridana'' is an

annual Annual may refer to: * Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook ** Literary annual * Annual plant * Annual report * Annual giving * Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco * Annuals (b ...

biennial plant A biennial plant is a flowering plant that, generally in a temperate climate, takes two years to complete its biological life cycle. Life cycle In its first year, the biennal plant undergoes primary growth, during which its vegetative structures ...

in the

Cichorieae The Cichorieae (also called Lactuceae) are a tribe in the plant family Asteraceae that includes 93 genera, more than 1,600 sexually reproductive species and more than 7,000 Apomixis, apomictic species. They are found primarily in temperate region ...

(dandelion) tribe within the

Asteraceae The family Asteraceae, alternatively Compositae, consists of over 32,000 known species of flowering plants in over 1,900 genera within the order Asterales. Commonly referred to as the aster, daisy, composite, or sunflower family, Compositae w ...

(daisy) family. ''Lactuca floridana'' was found to contain 11β,13-Dihydro-lactucin-8-O-acetate hemihydrate.

Description

''L. floridana'' is a tall plant, growing to a height of . It is usually unbranched with a central stem that is light or reddish green and hairless. It has a pure white, milky sap. The leaves are alternate, lanceolate-oblong, and up to long and across. The largest leaves are often deeply pinnately lobed, although the leaves in general are variable and can be lobed or unlobed. The top of the stem bears a multibranched

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

with many

flower heads A pseudanthium (Greek for "false flower"; ) is an inflorescence that resembles a flower. The word is sometimes used for other structures that are neither a true flower nor a true inflorescence. Examples of pseudanthia include flower heads, compos ...

. Each head contains 10–20 blue or white ray florets but no disc florets. The fruit is a brown

achene An achene (; ), also sometimes called akene and occasionally achenium or achenocarp, is a type of simple dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. Achenes are monocarpellate (formed from one carpel) and indehiscent (they do not ope ...

Etymology

The genus name ''Lactuca'' is based on the Latin word for milk, "lac", and refers to the milky sap. The specific epithet means "of Florida".

Distribution and habitat

''L. floridana'' is native in the United States from Texas to the west, Florida to the south, Massachusetts to the east, and the Canadian border to the north. In Canada it is native in Manitoba and Ontario, although it is possibly

extirpated Local extinction, also known as extirpation, refers to a species (or other taxon) of plant or animal that ceases to exist in a chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere. Local extinctions are contrasted with global extinct ...

in Manitoba and it's critically imperiled in Ontario. Habitats include disturbed areas, prairies, along roadsides, pastures, and miscellaneous waste areas.

Ecology

The plant blooms from July to October, and the nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bees.

Uses

The plant is edible and can be cooked and eaten as greens.

References

External links

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of TexasDelaware Wildflowers
photos

photo {{Taxonbar, from=Q15591435 floridana Flora of North America Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus