LACTUCA SALIGNA

Family and Genus:- See- COMPOSITAE/Sect. LACTUCA

Common Names:- Least lettuce

Homotypic Synonyms:- None

Meaning:- Lactuca (L) Reference to the milky sap.

Saligna (L) Of willow-like appearance, willowy.

General description:- A tall greyish annual or biennial to 1m, though often less.

Stems:-

1) 30-100 cm,whitish, stiff and erect, glabrous or somewhat setose; branched.

Leaves:-

1) Often muricate on the midrib.

a) lower, undivided to pinnatifid with narrow distant lobes.

b) upper, oblong to linear with a sagittate base.

Flowers:-

1) Inflorescence, a spike-like panicle of numerous capitula.

2) Capitula, with 6-15 florets.

3) Ligules, pale yellow.

Fruit:-

1) Achenes, 5-8 mm; body elliptical, finely muricate at apex, 7- to 8-ribbed, pale

brown; beak 1½-3 times as long as the body, subglabrous at the apex.

Key features:-

1) Cauline leaves, oblong to linear.

2) Inflorescence, usually a spike-like panicle.

3) Stem, glabrous.

4) Achenes, subglabrous at the apex.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Dry, open and gravelly places, roads, fallow fields, vineyards. 0-1100 m.

Distribution:- Widespread and common throughout the Mediterranean area and SC

Europe, eastwards through anatolia to Caucasia. Scattered across Crete not too

common.

Flowering time:- June-Sept.

Photos by:- Steve Lenton