Asteraceae FAMILY

Lactuca pulchella

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 pulchella is a usually erect, perennial plant growing from a more or less rhizomatous rootstock. The plant usuallu produces basal leaves and a single stem that can be 15 - 100cm or more tall[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeMost areas of North America, from Arctic regions southwards, but excluding the southeastern states.

HabitatMedium-dry to moist soils in fields, thickets of prairies, valleys and in mountains; at elevations to 2,100 metres[ 212 Title A Field Guide to Rocky Mountain Wildflowers Publication Author Craighead. J., Craighead. F. and Davis. R. Publisher The Riverside Press Year 1963 ISBN 63-7093 Description Excellent little pocket guide to the area, covering 590 species and often giving details of their uses. ]. Also found in calcareous sites, stream banks and other wet sites[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].