Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 795 (1753).

Derivation: Latin lacluca, lettuce; lac, milk or the milky latex of a plant.

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: None

Description:
Annual and biennial herbs; stem terete; leaves basal and cauline, alternate, flat, sessile, entire to pinnatifid, with a prominent mid-vein.

Capitula numerous in a terminal panicle, small, homogamous; involucre cylindrical, multiseriate; bracts herbaceous with scarious margins, free, imbricate, ovate to lanceplate, unequal; receptacle flat, naked, pitted; florets bisexual, fertile, ligulate; ligules linear to oblong, yellow (often becoming bluish in dried material); corolla tube cylindrical, glabrous or puberulent at the apex; anthers tailed at the base, with short subacute apical appendages; style branches linear, pubescent.

Achenes elliptic to obovate, flattened with narrow marginal ridges, each face 5-8-ribbed, with a paler filiform beak subequal to the achene body; pappus multiseriate, of fine equal barbellate bristles.

Distribution:  About 100 species in the Northern Hemisphere and Africa; 2 naturalised in Australia.

Biology: No text

Key to Species:

1. Leaves narrowly oblong to linear or with narrow lobes; margins and mid-veins smooth	L. saligna 1.
1. Leaves broadly oblong to lanceolate, entire or broadly lobed; margins and mid-veins spinulose on at least some leaves	L. serriola 2.

Author: Not yet available