Blue Lettuce

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Blue Lettuce
• chickory lettuce
• tatarian blue lettuce

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Lagedium tataricum
• Wiestia tatarica
• Mulgedium tataricum var. integrum
• Lactuca tatarica var. tibetica
• Mulgedium tataricum
• Mulgedium alatoicum
• Mulgedium aurora
• Mulgedium roborovskii
• Mulgedium tataricum f. albiflorum
• Mulgedium tataricum var. polyphyllum
• Sonchus tataricus
• Sonchus volhynicus
• Crepis charbonnelii
• Lactuca clarkei
• Lactuca multipes
• Lactuca tatarica var. integra
• Lactuca canadensis var. integrifolia
• Agathyrsus tataricus
• Lactuca tatarica f. stevensii
• Lactuca elongata var. integrifolia

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae and order Asterales, it is a member of the family Asteraceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic designation falls under the genus Lactuca.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a specific distribution pattern across the northern regions of the European continent. Within Northern Europe, it can be identified growing in the landscapes of Denmark. The species is also documented throughout the territories of Finland and Norway. Furthermore, its presence extends to the islands of Great Britain and Ireland. Together, these locations define its primary geographical range in the north.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Lactuca tatarica is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to diverse and often extreme environments, allowing it to thrive across a wide spectrum of landscapes. It occupies a broad range of habitats, including crop fields, old fields, deserts, semi-deserts, steppes, and shrubberies, as well as more hydrologically varied sites such as irrigation channels, lakes, rivers, and oases. The species demonstrates significant tolerance for varied soil and moisture conditions, frequently found in sandy areas, saline places, and along roadsides. Its vertical distribution is equally extensive, spanning a massive altitudinal gradient that begins at a minimum of 400 m AMSL and reaches a maximum of 4300 m AMSL, with a mean elevational range of approximately 2750 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

4300 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

2750 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

400 m AMSL

Habitat :

crop fields, desert, forest, irrigation channals, lakes, oasis, old fields, rivers, roadsides, saline places, sand, semidesert, shrubberies, steppe

Life history

The life history of Lactuca serriola (often referred to in botanical contexts related to the Lactuca genus) is characterized by a versatile and adaptable biological strategy. This species functions as a perennial, though its developmental timing can be variable depending on environmental conditions. Categorized as a hemicryptophyte, the plant protects its perennial buds at or just below the soil surface, allowing it to persist through unfavorable seasons. Furthermore, it exhibits a deciduous nature, shedding its foliage as part of its seasonal cycle to manage resource allocation and survival.

Deciduousness :

deciduous

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Lactuca sativa (noted as Lactuca tatarica) is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and specifically a forb. It is a self-supporting plant that does not function as a climber, vine, or liana, and it maintains an independent lifestyle rather than acting as a parasite or an epiphyte. The plant is terrestrial in nature and does not exhibit aquatic or semiaquatic tendencies. In terms of stature, it is a relatively low-growing species with a plant height that ranges from a minimum of 0.05 m to a maximum of 1 m, maintaining an average height of approximately 0.4125 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1 m

Plant height mean:

0.4125 m

Plant height min:

0.05 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Lactuca sativa (tatarica) is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, indicating a reliance on the Calvin cycle for carbon fixation, which typically occurs in environments with moderate light and temperature. As a non-carnivorous species, it derives all necessary nutrients through soil absorption and standard metabolic processes rather than through the capture of prey. The morphological physiology of its foliage reveals significant variability; the leaves exhibit a mean length of 12.5 cm, ranging from a minimum of 6 cm to a maximum of 19 cm, with a mean width of 4 cm that fluctuates between 2 cm and 6 cm. These dimensions contribute to a mean leaf size of 13.385 cm². Furthermore, the plant maintains a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 179 cm²/g, a physiological metric that reflects its leaf mass per area and influences its resource acquisition strategies and light-use efficiency.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf length max:

19 cm

Leaf length mean:

12.5 cm

Leaf length min:

6 cm

Leaf size mean:

13.385 cm²

Leaf width max:

6 cm

Leaf width mean:

4 cm

Leaf width min:

2 cm

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

179 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Lactuca tatarica is primarily sexual, characterized by bisexual flowers that facilitate reproductive success. The flowering period typically begins in July and concludes in August, though the timing can be variable. The pollination process is biotic, relying specifically on insects to facilitate the transfer of pollen. Once fertilization occurs—a process aided by the presence of self-fertilization capabilities—the plant develops fruit in the form of an achene. These fruits are small and uniform in size, with a mean length of 0.5 cm and a mean width of 0.1 cm, maintaining a consistent range across minimum and maximum measurements. The fruits are indehiscent and contain seeds with a very fine mass of approximately 0.00091 g. Following maturation, the plant utilizes an anemochorous dispersal syndrome, meaning the seeds are dispersed by the wind to colonize new areas. No asexual reproductive methods are observed in this species.

Dehiscence :

indehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

anemochorous

Flowering time :

Jul

Flowering time :

Aug

Fruit length max:

0.5 cm

Fruit type :

achene

Fruit width max:

0.1 cm

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed mass mean:

0.00091 g

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Chemicals

Lactuca tatarica has 2 reported phytochemicals identified across 0 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Eudesmanolide, GUAIANOLIDE.

Eudesmanolide

1. Fitoterapia

GUAIANOLIDE

1. Fitoterapia