Lactuca sativa
Common name
lettuce
Family
Asteraceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledonous composites
Conservation status
Not applicable
Flower colours
Yellow
Year naturalised
1958
Origin
Unknown (probably cultivation in Egypt)
Etymology
lactuca: From the Latin lac ‘milk’, referring to the white juice.
References and further reading
Johnson, A. T. and Smith, H. A (1986). Plant Names Simplified: Their pronunciation, derivation and meaning. Landsman Bookshop Ltd: Buckenhill, UK.