Wildflowers of the United States
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Woodland Lettuce, Florida Blue Lettuce, False Lettuce - Lactuca floridana


Family: Asteraceae – Aster family Genus Common Name: Lettuce Native Status: Native
Lactuca floridana - Woodland Lettuce, Florida Blue Lettuce, False Lettuce. Branching plant with loose cluster of small blue flowers. Lower leaves lobed, alternate; upper leaves lanceolate, entire or toothed.

Officially listed as Threatened in Michigan and as Endangered in New York, the New York City Wildflower Week reports to me that in New York it is found in a single site in the Bronx Borough.
Distribution of Lactuca floridana in the United States and Canada:
USDA Plants Distribution Map
Blue=Native; Grey=Introduced

Map from USDA Plants Database:
USDA, NRCS. 2009. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 09 Sep 2010). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

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Site: Walker County, GA Date: 2009-March-11Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson
Pale blue (sometimes white) flower with ray florets - but no central disk florets. Interesting stamens formations. Most descriptions report 11 to 17 rays, but this specimen appears to have a couple more than that. Blossom looks somewhat similar to Chicory, but Chicory blossoms form in the leaf axils.
Lactuca floridana

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All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2010
Photographs Copyrighted by the named photographer


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