prickly lettuce |
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| Asterales > Asteraceae > Lactuca serriola L.
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| Synonym(s): China lettuce, wild lettuce |
| Prickly lettuce is an annual or biennial that can reach heights of 6 ft. (1.8m). Cauline leaves (on the stem) are alternate, 2-14 in. (5-36 cm) long and become smaller up the stem. Leaves have a conspicuous, white midvein with the underside of the vein covered with many prickles. In the mid-to-late summer, ½ in. (1.3 cm) wide, yellow flowers develop in a branched inflorescence at the apex of the stem. Flowers produce dandelion-like seeds. Prickly lettuce is native to the Mediterranean region and occurs along roadsides, in abandoned fields, and other disturbed areas. It was accidentally introduced into North America in the late 1890s, possibly as a contaminant in seed. |
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| Number: | 5307077 |
| Description: | Diagram or Graphic; USDA NRCS. Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. |
| Photographer: | USDA PLANTS Database, USDA NRCS PLANTS Database |
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External Links
Invasive Reference(s)
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- Invasive Plants: Guide to Identification and the Impacts and Control of Common North American Species
Subject Reference(s)
- USDA, NRCS. 2001. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.1, National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. -
http://plants.usda.gov/
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