Asteraceae FAMILY

Lactuca inermis

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

Although no specific mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, many plants in this genus contain a narcotic principle, this is at its most concentrated when the plant begins to flower. This principle has been almost bred out of the cultivated forms of lettuce but is produced when the plant starts to go to seed[ 13 Title Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Publication Author Triska. Dr. Publisher Hamlyn Year 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3 Description Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore. ].

Botanical Description

Lactuca inermis is a sparsely-branched, erect, herbaceous perennial plant. It produces a stem 5 - 150cm tall, occasionally to 240cm tall, from a long, thick taproot[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine.

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeAfrica - widespread from moister areas of the Sahel south to S. Africa and Madagascar; Arabian Peninsula - Yemen.

HabitatA pioneer species, found in grassland, woodland, fallow land and roadsides; Generally in higher rainfall areas, favouring moist localities and seasonally wet depressions; at elevations from 650 - 2,800 metres, sometimes ascending to 3,450 metres[ 299 Title Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. Publication Author Website http://www.prota.org Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa. ].