Prickly lettuce
| Botanical Name | Lactuca serriola |
| Common Name | Prickly lettuce |
| Family | Asteraceae - Aster |
| Description | This stiff, erect annual or biennial has milky juice. It usually branches only in the flowering portion. The leaf is prickly on the lower side. It reproduces only by seed. The seeds are hairy parachutes like dandelions. |
| Mature Size | 1'-5' |
| Bloom | July-September. These numerous yellow ray flowers sometimes dry blue. They measure 1/8" -1/3" across. |
| Interesting Facts | This native of Europe is sometimes a serious invader in irrigated crops and orchards. |
| Traditional and Medicinal Uses | When seedlings are young and tender this lettuce is used in salads. It has been cooked as a potherb. Large quantities can cause digestive upsets. An edible oil is obtained from the seeds after they are refined. Prickly lettuce has been used as a muscle relaxant. |
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Photo for SFBG by Janice Tucker
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Photo for SFBG by Janice Tucker
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