Lactuca virosa
Lactuca virosa is a plant in the Lactuca (lettuce) genus, often ingested for its mild analgesic and sedative effects. It is related to common lettuce (L. sativa), and is often called wild lettuce, bitter lettuce, laitue vireuse, opium lettuce, poisonous lettuce, tall lettuce, great lettuce or rakutu-karyumu-so.
Lactuca virosa is biennial, similar to prickly lettuce Lactuca serriola but taller – it can grow to 200 cm (80 inches or almost 7 feet). It is also stouter, the stem and leaves are more purple flushed,[disputed – discuss] and the leaves are less divided, but more spreading, similarly to Mycelis muralis but showing more than 5 florets.
The achene is purple black, without bristles at the tip. The pappus is the same as Lactuca serriola.
In the northern hemisphere, it flowers from July until September.
Lactuca virosa is listed in the following regions:
Species information
- Lactuca virosa Scientific name
- Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Exotic
- Non-invasive or negligible
- 72.9m Recorded at altitude
- Machine learning
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In flower
- External link More information
Location information
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Places
Hurstbridge, VIC
