Horticulture/Lactuca

Lettuces Lactucaserriola2web.jpg Lactuca Asteraceae Annuals, Perennials, Biennials Most species are weedy Insect Lactuca, commonly known as lettuce, is a genus of flowering plants in the Sunflower family Asteraceae. The genus includes about 100 species, distributed worldwide, but mainly in temperate Eurasia. Description Its best-known representative is the garden lettuce (Lactuca sativa), with its many varieties. But many are just common weeds. They are annuals or perennials. Their height can vary between 10–180 cm. They form heads or capitula in panicles of yellow, brown or purple flowers in ray florets. The non-edible species may contain bitter elements. Others contain a milky juice. Growing conditions Species ../Lactuca biennis/ : Tall Blue Lettuce, Wild Blue Lettuce ../Lactuca canadensis/ : Canada Lettuce, Florida Blue Lettuce, Wild Lettuce (North America) ../Lactuca sativa/ : Garden Lettuce, Lettuce ../Lactuca serriola/ : Prickly Lettuce, China Lettuce, Wild Lettuce (Southern Europe) ../Lactuca tatarica/ : Blue Lettuce, Chickory Lettuce, Russian Blue Lettuce (Asia, India) Uses The garden lettuce is grown as a salad green, other species occur as weeds. Pests and Diseases References Ann Fowler Rhoads and Timothy A. Block Anna Anisko, illustrator The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual 2000 Morris Arboretum, University of Pennsylvania Press 225–227 Staff of the L. H. Bailey Hortorium Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada 1976 Cornell University Press 631 Cranshaw Whitney Garden Insects of North America: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs 2004 Princeton University Press 602 Pippa Greenwood, Andrew Halstead, A.R. Chase, Daniel Gilrein American Horticultural Society Pests & Diseases: The Complete Guide to Preventing, Identifying, and Treating Plant Problems First Edition 2000 Dorling Kindersley (DK) Publishing, inc. 202