Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Asterids: Campanulids: Asterales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Lactuca hirsuta
FAMILY
Asteraceae_
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Downy Lettuce at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
Lactuca hirsuta has a more open inflorescence, with long secondary branches that are widely spreading (almost perpendicular) from the stem, with fewer, spatially widely scattered flowers pointed in many directions (in contract to Lactuca canadensis and other Lactuca that tend to have all branches ascending, with flowers closer together and often facing upward/skyward, per Weakley's Flora (2022).
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Lactuca hirsuta var. sanguinea
FAMILY
Asteraceae_
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Lactuca hirsuta
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21 (2006)
Lactuca hirsuta
INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Lactuca hirsuta var. hirsuta
INCLUDING Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Lactuca hirsuta var. sanguinea
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-07-004:
Lactuca hirsuta FAMILY Asteraceae_
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Lactuca hirsuta
COMMON NAME:
Red Wood Lettuce, Downy Lettuce, Hairy Lettuce
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
Bryan England bry_1330
April Wake County NC
Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park
)
JK Marlow jkm240418_8647
April Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm240418_8648
April Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
)
Bryan England bry_252
June Wake County NC
Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park
Inflorescence with branches widely spreading (almost perpendicular) from the stem, per Weakley's Flora (2024).
)
Bryan England bry_568
June Wake County NC
Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park
)
Bryan England bry_image004
June Wake County NC
Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park
Fruiting involucres 15-22mm tall (vs. those of L. canadensis 10-15mm tall), per Weakley's Flora (2020).
COMPARE
involucral bracts of Wild Lettuce
)
Bryan England bry_image006
June Wake County NC
Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park
Flowers heads relatively large, the involucres measuring 1/2"+ in height, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
Bryan England bry_image011
June Wake County NC
Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park
Lobes blocky, widest above the base and blunt, square or rounded at the tip (like a Post Oak), per Weakley's Flora (2023).
)
Bryan England bry_image013
June Wake County NC
Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park
The midrib may be either pubescent (var. sanguinea) or glabrous (f. calviflora) beneath, per Noteworthy Plants of Southeastern Virginia (Fernald, 1938).
)
Bryan England bry_mage016
June Wake County NC
Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park
Var. sanguinea: Stem glabrous or essentially so, per Noteworthy Plants of Southeastern Virginia (Fernald, 1938).
)
Bryan England bry_061223_1416
August Wake County NC
Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park
Plants can be quite tall (note yardstick in the pic).
)
JK Marlow jkm240817_0561
August Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm240817_0570
August Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm240817_0571
August Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm240817_0576
August Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
The midrib may be either pubescent (var. sanguinea) or glabrous (f. calviflora) beneath, per Noteworthy Plants of Southeastern Virginia (Fernald, 1938).
)
JK Marlow jkm240817_0587
August Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm240817_0591
August Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm240817_0600
August Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
)
JK Marlow jkm240817_0604
August Greenville County SC
Bald Rock Heritage Preserve
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/14/23):
Lactuca hirsuta
FAMILY
Asteraceae_
INCLUDING
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Lactuca hirsuta var. sanguinea
FAMILY
Asteraceae_
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Lactuca hirsuta
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 19-20-21
Lactuca hirsuta
INCLUDING
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Lactuca hirsuta var. hirsuta
INCLUDING
Floristic Synthesis of North America (Kartesz, 1999)
Lactuca hirsuta var. sanguinea
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 179-07-004:
Lactuca hirsuta
FAMILY
Asteraceae_
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Lactuca hirsuta
1893
Forb
Biennial
Habitat: Dry, sandy woodlands, forest edges, per Weakley's Flora
Native to the Carolinas & Georgia
Rare
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
DOES THE PLANT HAVE "MILKY SAP"?
Has milky sap (latex)
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Spring/Summer/Fall
Rays: Orange-yellow
sometimes drying bluish
Disc: Absent
Inferior ovary
Ray flowers bisexual
FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".