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Lactuca indica laciniata
| Common name: |
|
Family: |
Compositae |
| Author: |
(Kuntze.)Hard. |
Botanical references: |
58 |
| Synonyms: |
Lactuca squarrosa (Miq.), Lactuca laciniata |
| Known Hazards: |
Although no specific mention of toxicity has been seen for this species, many plants in this genus contain a narcotic principle, this is at its most concentrated when the plant begins to flower. This principle has been almost bred out of the cultivated forms of lettuce but is produced when the plant starts to go to seed[13]. |
| Range: |
E. Asia. |
| Habitat: |
Grassy places in lowland all over Japan[58]. |
| Edibility Rating (1-5): |
3 | Medicinal Rating (1-5): | 2 |
| Other Possible Synonyms: | From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below. |
| L. indica[E,G,HORTIPLEX,P]
Prenanthes squarrosa[G]
Pterocypsela indica[G]
|
| Other Common Names: | From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below. |
| Indian Lettuce [P], |
| Epithets: | From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets |
|
indica = Indian
laciniata = deeply cut
|
| Systematics: | From a USDA Plants Database |
|
Order: Asterales. Renamed to Asteraceae -- Aster family
|
Physical Characteristics
Perennial growing to 1.2m. . The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects.
We rate it 3/5 for edibility and
2/5 for medicinal use.
The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil.
The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.
It requires moist soil.
Habitats and Possible Locations
Woodland, Cultivated Beds, Sunny Edge.Edible Uses
Leaves
Stem.
Leaves - raw or cooked[177]. Added to salads or soups[183].
Medicinal Uses
Disclaimer
Digestive
Tonic.
The plant is digestive and tonic[61].
Although we have seen no specific reports for this species, most if not all
members of the genus have a milky sap that contains the substance
'lactucarium' and can probably be used as the report below details[K].
The whole plant is rich in a milky sap that flows freely from any wounds.
This hardens and dries when in contact with the air[4]. The sap contains
'lactucarium', which is used in medicine for its anodyne, antispasmodic,
digestive, diuretic, hypnotic, narcotic and sedative properties[9, 21, 46,
165, 192, 213, 238]. Lactucarium has the effects of a feeble opium, but
without its tendency to cause digestive upsets[4], nor is it addictive[7]. It
is taken internally in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety, neuroses,
hyperactivity in children, dry coughs, whooping cough, rheumatic pain
etc[238]. Concentrations of lactucarium are low in young plants and most
concentrated when the plant comes into flower[238]. It is collected
commercially by cutting the heads of the plants and scraping the juice into
china vessels several times a day until the plant is exhausted[4]. An
infusion of the fresh or dried flowering plant can also be used[9].
The plant should be used with caution, and never without the supervision of
a skilled practitioner. Even normal doses can cause drowsiness whilst excess
causes restlessness[238] and overdoses can cause death through cardiac
paralysis[7, 9].
Some physicians believe that any effects of this medicine are caused by the
mind of the patient rather than by the medicine[213].
The sap has also been applied externally in the treatment of warts[222].
Other Uses
None known
Cultivation details
Prefers a light sandy loam.
We do not know how hardy this plant will be in Britain, though it can be
grown here as an annual. It takes about 60 days from seed sowing until the
first leaves are harvested[200].
Propagation
Seed - sow early spring in a warm greenhouse, only just covering the
seed. Germination is usually rapid, prick out the seedlings when large enough
to handle and plant out after the last expected frosts[200].
Division in spring. Make sure each piece of root has a leaf bud[200].
Root cuttings in late winter[200].
Suppliers
For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.
Web References
References for Lactuca indica (a possible synonym).
See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.
Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.
[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.
[7] Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5
Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.
[9] Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn 1981 ISBN 0-600-37216-2
Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.
[13] Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975 ISBN 0-600-33545-3
Very interesting reading, giving some details of plant uses and quite a lot of folk-lore.
[21] Lust. J. The Herb Book. Bantam books 1983 ISBN 0-553-23827-2
Lots of information tightly crammed into a fairly small book.
[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.
[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
[165] Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.
An excellent small herbal.
[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
[192] Emboden. W. Narcotic Plants Studio Vista 1979 ISBN 0-289-70864-8
A lot of details about the history, chemistry and use of narcotic plants, including hallucinogens, stimulants, inebriants and hypnotics.
[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.
[222] Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America. Houghton Mifflin Co. 1990 ISBN 0395467225
A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.
[238] Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, London. 1995 ISBN 0-7513-020-31
A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
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Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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