Etymology: Lactuca: name for "milk"
Plants: erect, perennial, 1'-4' tall forb with milky juice; stems smooth, leafy
Leaves: bluish-green, either unlobed or pinnately-divided into narrow lobes
Flowers: head 3/4" wide with 18-50 blue to purple rays; inflorescence with several heads in a branched cluster; blooms June-Sept.
Fruits: red-brown, dry seed with several obvious lines on both sides on soft, white, fluffy pappus
Habitat: moist; prairies, streambanks, thickets
Conservation Status: Introduced - adventive

Flora of North America: Flora of North America Floristic Rating: Wetland Indicator = FAC USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS): Images of seeds, fruits, embryos, etc. Southwest School of Botanical Medicine: Britton & Brown Illustrated Flora - 2nd Edition (1913) "An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada"