woodland lettuce
Lactuca floridana
The delicate flower heads of this wild lettuce open only for a few hours during the morning, closing tightly by afternoon to protect their pollen.
- Scientific name
- Lactuca floridana
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Asterales › Asteraceae › Lactuca
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Moist deciduous woodlands, rich forest borders, thickets, and partially shaded valleys.
- Diet
- Autotrophic (photosynthesis requiring sunlight, water, and soil nutrients).
- Range
- Eastern United States, Central United States, Southeastern Canada
- Size
- 1 to 2.5 meters (3 to 8 feet) tall
- Lifespan
- 1 to 2 years (annual or biennial)
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat loss from urban development, competition from aggressive invasive plant species, and indiscriminate herbicide spraying.
- Safe to approach?
- Woodland lettuce is harmless to touch, but its stems secrete a bitter, milky latex sap that can cause mild skin irritation in sensitive individuals. It is safe to observe from any distance. Do not ingest wild plants without expert identification. If sap contacts skin, wash the area with soap and water.
Lactuca floridana , the woodland lettuce , is a North American species of wild lettuce. It is widespread across much of central Canada and the eastern and central United States from Ontario and Manitoba south as far as Texas, Louisiana, and Florida.
Photo: Jennifer Harris, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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