GLOSSARY
Common Name:
lettuce, prickly
Species:
Lactuca serriola
L.
Bayer Code:
LACSE
Prickly lettuce can be a summer annual or biennial. The woody stems of this plant are hollow, and form in the middle of a basal rosette of leaves. Leaves are deeply lobed, and clasp the base of the stem. The leaf shape is distinctive, with the indentation between lobes forming a "C" shape. Leaves are also oriented at an angle to the stem, with spines on the midrib and base of the leaf. Prickly lettuce has yellow flowers, but these can appear to be white from a distance due to the wooly hairs (pappus) on each seed. This weed is most common in row crops and roadside areas.
[Click on image to view plant details]
prickly lettuce stem, leaves
prickly lettuce leaf, deeply notched
prickly lettuce spiny leaves
prickly lettuce roots
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Characteristic
Type
Description
Growth Season
summer annual weed OR biennial weed
Growth Habit
upright OR rosette
early in the season it is a basal rosette, and then produces an upright stem in late summer
Leaflet Number
one
Leaf Margin
lobed
Leaf Hairs
upper/lower surface OR leaf margin
prickles are found on the midvein on the lower surface of the leaf
Leaf/Leaflet Shape
linear/oblong
long and linear leaves with rounded notches in leaf margin
Leaf Width
1/2 - 1 inch OR 1 - 2 inches
Leaf Venation
pinnate
Leaf Arrangement
alternate
Root Type
taproot
Flower Color
yellow