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Lactuca ludoviciana

Lactuca ludoviciana (Nutt.) Riddell

Western Wild Lettuce, Louisiana Wild Lettuce, Prairie Lettuce, Prairie Wild Lettuce, Biannual Lettuce

Asteraceae (Aster Family)

Synonym(s): Lactuca campestris, Lactuca campestris var. typica

USDA Symbol: LALU

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

Lactuca means "milk" which refers to the white sap in the stems and leaves of the plant. "Latex brownish". (Bibref: 281). Ludoviciana refers to King Louis XIV in whose honor Louisiana was named.

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial , Biennial
Habit: Herb
Root Type: Tap
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Deltoid , Oblanceolate
Leaf Margin: Dentate , Lobed
Leaf Base: Clasping
Breeding System: Monoecious
Inflorescence: Head , Panicle
Size Notes: Up to about 5 feet tall.
Leaf: Milky sap from leaves and stems.
Flower: Ray florets: 5 petals united. Disc florets: absent
Fruit: Fruit is a cypsela (pl. cypselae). Though technically incorrect, the fruit is often referred to as an achene. Gray/black with white pappus bristles on a stem at the tip of the beak.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Yellow , Blue
Bloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Bloom Notes: Many heads at the top of the stalk.

Distribution

USA: AR , AZ , CA , CO , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MN , MO , MS , MT , ND , NE , NM , OK , OR , SD , TX , UT , WA , WI , WY
Canada: BC , MB , SK

Growing Conditions

Water Use: Low , Medium
Light Requirement: Sun , Part Shade
Soil Moisture: Dry , Moist
Soil pH: Alkaline (pH>7.2)
Drought Tolerance: Medium
Soil Description: Calcareous
Conditions Comments: Usually considered a weed.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	FAC		FAC		UPL	FACU		FACU	UPL	FAC

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Bibliography

Bibref 293 - Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas (1979) Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston
Bibref 281 - Shinners & Mahler's Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas (1999) Diggs, G. M.; B. L. Lipscomb; B. O'Kennon; W. F...

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.

Additional resources

USDA: Find Lactuca ludoviciana in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Lactuca ludoviciana in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Lactuca ludoviciana

Metadata

Record Modified: 2022-12-29
Research By: ghh

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