Lactuca

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Lactuca
Lactuca tuberosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Cichorioideae
Tribe: Cichorieae
Subtribe: Lactucinae
Genus: Lactuca
L.
Synonyms[1]
  • Agathyrsus D. Don
  • Bunioseris Jord.
  • Cephalorrhynchus Boiss.
  • Cyanoseris (W.D.J.Koch) Schur
  • Lactucella Nazarova
  • Lactucopsis Schultz Bipontinus ex Visiani
  • Lagedium Soják
  • Mulgedium Cassini
  • Mycelis Cass.
  • Phaenixopus Cassini
  • Phoenicopus Spach
  • Pterocypsela C. Shih
  • Scariola F. W. Schmidt
  • Wiestia Sch.Bip.

Lactuca, commonly known as lettuce, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. The genus includes at least 50 species, distributed worldwide, but mainly in temperate Eurasia.

Its best-known representative is the garden lettuce (Lactuca sativa), with its many varieties. "Wild lettuce" commonly refers to the wild-growing relatives of common garden lettuce. Many species are common weeds. Lactuca species are diverse and take a wide variety of forms. They are annuals, biennials, perennials, or shrubs.[2] Their flower heads have yellow, blue, or white ray florets. Some species are bitter-tasting.

Most wild lettuces are xerophytes, adapted to dry habitat types. Some occur in more moist areas, such as the mountains of central Africa.[2]

Diversity

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Wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa) by Otto Wilhelm Thome in Flora von Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz, 1885
Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola)
File:Lactuca tenerrima.jpg
Lactuca tenerrima
File:Lactuca serriola flowers RJP 01.jpg
Lactuca serriola
File:Lactuca tatarica.jpeg
Lactuca tatarica

There are different concepts of the species within Lactuca. It is not clear how many distinct species are known, and estimates vary from 50[3] to 75[4] so far.

Species include:[3][4][5][6]

Ecology

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Lactuca species are used as food plants by the larvae of many Lepidoptera species.

Etymology

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'Lactuca' is derived from Latin and means 'having milky sap'. 'Lactuca' and 'lactic' (of or relating to milk) have the same root word, 'lactis'.[20]

References

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  1. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ^ a b Lactuca. Flora of China.
  4. ^ a b Lactuca. Flora of North America.
  5. ^ GRIN Species Records of Lactuca. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).
  6. ^ Lactuca. The Plant List. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Missouri Botanical Garden.
  7. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ^ Lactuca attenuata. Flora Zambesiaca. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  9. ^ Bano, R. and M. Qaiser. (2011). A taxonomic revision of the genus Lactuca L. (Cichorieae-Asteraceae) from Pakistan and Kashmir. Pakistan Journal of Botany 43(5) 2259–268.
  10. ^ Lactuca homblei. Flora Zambesiaca. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  11. ^ Lactuca imbricata. Flora Zambesiaca. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  12. ^ Lactuca lasiorhiza. Flora Zambesiaca. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  13. ^ Lactuca mwinilungensis. Flora Zambesiaca. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  14. ^ Lactuca nana. Flora Zambesiaca. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  15. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  16. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  17. ^ Kilian, N. (2001). Lactuca stebbinsii (Lactuceae, Compositae), a puzzling new species from Angola.[permanent dead link] Willdenowia - Annals of the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin - Dahlem 31(1) 71–8.
  18. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  19. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  20. ^ Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (hardback), Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value). (paperback). pp 228
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