OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

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



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.

image of Lactuca hirsuta, Red Wood Lettuce, Downy Lettuce, Hairy Lettuce

Bryan England    bry_1330

April    Wake County    NC

Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park

image of Lactuca hirsuta, Red Wood Lettuce, Downy Lettuce, Hairy Lettuce

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).

image of Lactuca hirsuta, Red Wood Lettuce, Downy Lettuce, Hairy Lettuce

Bryan England    bry_568

June    Wake County    NC

Annie Louise Wilkerson, MD Nature Preserve Park

image of Lactuca hirsuta, Red Wood Lettuce, Downy Lettuce, Hairy Lettuce

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).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE involucral bracts of Wild Lettuce

image of Lactuca hirsuta, Red Wood Lettuce, Downy Lettuce, Hairy 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).

image of Lactuca hirsuta, Red Wood Lettuce, Downy Lettuce, Hairy Lettuce

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).

image of Lactuca hirsuta, Red Wood Lettuce, Downy Lettuce, Hairy Lettuce

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).

image of Lactuca hirsuta, Red Wood Lettuce, Downy Lettuce, Hairy Lettuce

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).

image of Lactuca hirsuta, Red Wood Lettuce, Downy Lettuce, Hairy Lettuce

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).

 

 

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

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

1893

Forb
Biennial

Habitat: Dry, sandy woodlands, forest edges, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Rare

map
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/Blue
Disc: Absent
Inferior ovary
Ray flowers bisexual

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer/Fall

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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