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Common Name: Celtuce

General Information

Lactuca sativa angustana is a Annual/Biennial up to 0.60 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

The mature plant is mildly toxic[].

Botanical References

Range

Of garden origin, it is probably derived from L. serriola.

Habitat

Not known in the wild.

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual/Biennial
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Flies, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a light sandy loam[]. Succeeds in most well-drained, humus-rich soils but dislikes acid conditions[, ]. Prefers some shade in the summer to slow down the plants tendency to go to seed and to prevent the leaves becoming bitter[, ].
Plants can resist some frost, they can also tolerate temperatures in excess of 27°c[]. They are fairly resistant to bolting, though they can run to seed prematurely in very hot conditions[].
The celtuce is a form of lettuce with a longer and thicker central stem, it is sometimes cultivated for its edible leaves and stems[]. There are some named varieties[]. It takes 3 - 4 months from sowing before the stems are ready to harvest[].
A surface-rooting plant, the roots can be damaged by hoeing[].
A good companion for strawberries, carrots, radishes and onions[, ].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[, ]. A mild, slightly sweet flavour, they are rather more coarse than ordinary lettuce[], though they make an acceptable ingredient in mixed salads. Old leaves become coarser and bitter[].
Stem - raw or cooked. Thick, tender, crisp and juicy, its flavour is variously described as being like lettuce, celery, artichoke, squash, asparagus or chard[, ]. It is usually peeled before being used[, ]. The stems can be harvested just before the plants flower without them turning bitter, though they might become hollow at this stage[].

Medicinal

The whole plant is rich in a milky sap that flows freely from any wounds. This hardens and dries when in contact with the air[]. The sap contains 'lactucarium', which is used in medicine for its anodyne, antispasmodic, digestive, diuretic, hypnotic, narcotic and sedative properties[, , , , , , ]. Lactucarium has the effects of a feeble opium, but without its tendency to cause digestive upsets[], nor is it addictive[]. It is taken internally in the treatment of insomnia, anxiety, neuroses, hyperactivity in children, dry coughs, whooping cough, rheumatic pain etc[]. Concentrations of lactucarium are low in young plants and most concentrated when the plant comes into flower[]. It is collected commercially by cutting the heads of the plants and scraping the juice into china vessels several times a day until the plant is exhausted[]. The cultivated lettuce does not contain as much lactucarium as the wild species, most being produced when the plant is in flower[]. An infusion of the fresh or dried flowering plant can also be used[].
The plant should be used with caution, and never without the supervision of a skilled practitioner. Even normal doses can cause drowsiness whilst excess causes restlessness[] and overdoses can cause death through cardiac paralysis[, ].
Some physicians believe that any effects of this medicine are caused by the mind of the patient rather than by the medicine[].
The sap has also been applied externally in the treatment of warts[].
The seed is anodyne and galactogogue[].
Lettuce has acquired a folk reputation as an anaphrodisiac, anodyne, carminative, diuretic, emollient, febrifuge, hypoglycaemic, hypnotic, narcotic, parasiticide and sedative[].

Other Uses

Parasiticide[]. No further details are given, but it is probably the sap of flowering plants that is used.
The seed is said to be used to make hair grow on scar tissue[].

Propagation

Seed - sow early spring to early summer in situ[]. Seedlings can be transplanted[]. Seed becomes dormant at temperatures above 27°c[].