Lactuca indica

  • admin_jmgarg
  • Lactuca

Lactuca indica L., Mant. Pl. 2 278 1771. (syn: Brachyramphus heyneanus Wight; Brachyramphus sinicus Miq.; Brachyramphus sonchifolius Thwaites; Brachyramphus taraxacoides DC.; Chondrilla indica Steud.; Chondrilla sonchifolia Poir.; Chondrilla squarrosa Poir.; Lactuca amurensis Regel & Maxim.; Lactuca bialata Griff.; Lactuca brevirostris Champ. ex Benth.; Lactuca cavaleriei H.Lév.; Lactuca dracoglossa Makino; Lactuca hoatiensis H.Lév.; Lactuca jamaicensis Griseb.; Lactuca kouyangensis H.Lév.; Lactuca laciniata f. indivisa Makino; Lactuca mauritiana Poir.; Lactuca squarrosa Miq.; Leontodon acutissimus Noronha; Prenanthes indica J.G.Klein ex Poir.; Prenanthes laciniata Houtt.; Prenanthes racemosa Roxb.; Prenanthes squarrosa Thunb.; Prenanthes taraxacoides Wall.; Pterocypsela indica (L.) C.Shih; Pterocypsela indica var. laciniata (Houtt.) H.C.Fu; Pterocypsela indivisa (Makino) H.S.Pak; Pterocypsela laciniata (Houtt.) C.Shih; Scariola brevirostris (Fenzl) Soják; Sonchus calyculatus Roxb. ex DC.);
.
SE. Siberia to Japan and Malesia: Amur, Assam, Cambodia, China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Chita, East Himalaya, Hainan, Japan, Jawa, Khabarovsk, Korea, Laos, Manchuria, Nansei-shoto, Philippines, Primorye, Taiwan, Thailand, Tibet, Vietnam as per POWO;
.

27-06-2021 surajit 12 : Lactuca indica L.:

.


Help ID the Lactuca species: 8 images.

Please help identify the Lactuca species which differs from L.serriola in not having spines on the veins and leaves that are entire and not pinnatifid.
Habitat: Field in Rawathpora
Habit: Herb about 1.5 meters high
Leaves: Sessile and not pinnatifid like L.serriola
A google image search turned up L.indica as a possibility. Would request opinion of experts on the same.

Outer phyllary is 3mm ,middle about 5mm and inner about 7mm

I think L. serriola only, leaves can be undivided sometimes
http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=121239&flora_id=2

It is interesting that not only leaves are undivided but spines on midrib are also absent.
I was under the misconception that spines on midrib are a characteristic of L .serriola.

Sorry …, I thought there are prickles on the midrib,

Look for Lactuca sativa, the wild form.

According to a local villager Mr. Anwar its Kashmiri name is Doodich Ghas literally meaning grass with milk.

This is exactly what Lactuca  means in Latin.

Sorry …, I thought veins are prickly beneath

Please look for these characters
1. leaves entire or rarely toothed, less than 1 cm broad in L. indica, at least lower runcinate-pinnatifid with spinulose margin and midrib beneath in L. serriola
2. Leaves not clasping or weekly clasping at base L. indica, distinctly clasping in L. serriola
3. Achene beak less than 2 mm long L. indica, 3.5-5 mm long in L. serriola
4. Achene bodyl winged with one prominent rib on either side in L. indica, not winged with 7-9 ribs on either side in L. serriola
If it really turns out to be L. indica, It may be a new Record for Kashmir, the species occurs between
Please compare with these links
and for serriola
Please note that L. indica looks very similar to L. dolichophylla (syn: L. longifolia DC of FBI) in which florets are blue and also as FBI writes:
Habit of L. Iongifolia and as tall, but the leaves are never pinnatifid and want the sagittate base; the achenes are quite different, very flat, black, in. long, including the beak, with one strong median rib on each face and 4 more slender lateral ones on each side of the dorsal face; the base of the beak is black in this (white in Ionat’ J’olia); the pappus is dirty-white or yellowish. Ligules pale yellow within, purplish outside in Assam (Griffith), sulphur yellow in China (Ilance in litt.).
Wish you best of luck
I had written you privately but did not get response. I wanted to know if you have done Botany M.Sc. from Kashmir University, and if so need your WhatsApp number to add you to our Alumni Group.

Thanks for your kind interest. Somehow I did not receive your email
I am not an alumnus of KU
Regarding the plant the leaves are 4-5 cm broad. Margins are entire but base has two toothed wings. (See photo)
Achenes are white with 8 or more ribs. Beak is less than 1 mm long (See Photo)
(All photos in this post are under CC License; Attribution only required)
Am grateful for your kind help in identifying this herb.
4 images

In view of the detailed discussions and descriptions in eFloras, I think it should be Lactuca indica only.

Then as mentioned by … it should be first record from the valley

However leaves are more than 1 cm broad at base

.

References:
POWO  Catalogue of Life  The Plant List Ver.1.1  GCC  IPNI  Flora of China  India Biodiversity Portal  Useful Tropical Plants  National Parks Board