Etymology: Lactuca: name for "milk"
Plants: erect, biennial/perennial, 1'-5' tall forb with milky juice; stems leafy, smooth
Leaves: bluish, with spiny edges and midrib
Flowers: head 1" wide with 20-56 bluish-white to yellow rays; inflorescence of a few, relatively large heads in loosely-branched clusters; blooms July-Sept.
Fruits: blackish, flat, dry seed with only one obvious line on each side
Habitat: sun; prairies, meadows
Conservation Status: Native

Flora of North America: Flora of North America Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 5, Wetland Indicator = UPL Atlas of the Wisconsin Prairie and Savanna Flora: by T.S. Cochrane & H.H. Iltis: habitat, distribution infomation / flowering and fruiting times USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos