146 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



Stem scabrous with small prickles. Radical leaves obovate, 

 un divided ; lower stem - leaves spreading horizontally, obovate, 

 blunt ; the upper ones oblong ; all (except the lowest) amplex- 

 icaul, with blunt or sub-acute adpressed auricles (not decurrent), 

 undivided or occasionally runcinate-pinnatifid, sub-spinous-denti- 

 culate, spiny on the midrib beneath. Panicle with the branches 

 rather elongate, spreading horizontally. Achenes purplish-black, 

 elliptical-ovoid, bordered all round, glabrous at the summit ; beak 

 white, as long as the achene. 



In waste places, banks, and cliffs. Ratljer rare, but pretty 

 generally distributed in England, except in the South-western 

 counties ; rare in Scotland, where it occurs about Stirling Castle, 

 and at Kinnoul and Dunkeld, Perthshire. 



England, Scotland. Biennial or annual ? Late Summer 



and Autumn. 



Radical leaves 4 inches to 1 foot long, narrowed into an indis- 

 tinct winged petiole at the base. Stem 18 inches to 6 feet high, 

 simple below, branched above, with the branches comparatively 

 short, and spreading horizontally so as to form a long lax oblong 

 panicle. Lower stem-leaves narrowed at the base, blunt ; upper 

 ones scarcely narrowed towards the base, blunt or sub-acute ; auri- 

 cles bent down parallel to the stem. Anthodes ^ to f inch long, 

 shortly stalked, ascending vertically so as to be all on the upper side 

 of the branches of the panicle. Phyllaries frequently tinged with 

 dull-red. Elorets pale-yellow. Achenes ^ inch long, exclusive of 

 the slender white beak, with a broad beaded margin all round, and 

 slender rough ribs on each face ; beak enlarged into a disk at the 

 top. Pappus silky-white. Plant glabrous, light glaucous-green, 

 particularly the root-leaves ; stem often spotted with purple. 



Strong -scented Lettuce. 



French, Laitue Vireuse. German, Gift Lattich. 



The Wild Lettuce contains all the active properties of the genus. Its juice smells 

 like opium, and is milky, acrid, and bitter. It is the Qpiha'i, aypia (thridax agria) of 

 Dioscorides, Before the flowering-stem begins to show itself, it is well knovvn that the 

 Garden Lettuce contains a pleasant sweet watery juice, and in this condition it is used 

 throughout Europe for salads. But in both varieties, no sooner does the flowering-stem 

 rise above the early leaves, than tlie juice grows milky, very bittei-, and of a strong 

 rank peculiar odour ; and these qualities go on increasing until the flowers blow, which 

 happens in the Wild Lettuce in the months of July or August, and in the Garden 

 Lettuce in August or September. So long as the juice remains clear, it contains 

 chiefly sugar, mucilage, and albumen ; but when it becomes milky, it also contains 

 resin, a substance like caoutchouc, and a bitter crystalline active principle. A con- 

 siderable number of preparations have at various times been obtained from the Garden 

 Lettuce, and are sold in the shops under different names. There are lettuce lozenges, 



