Origin of Lettuce
Common garden lettuce, Lactuca sativa, has its origins in the Middle East. Egyptian wall murals of Min, the god of fertility, depict lettuce in cultivation in about 2700 B.C.
Over time, the Egyptians bred their wild-type lettuce to have leaves that were less bitter and more palatable. The cultivated plants were still tall and upright, with separate leaves rather than heads.
Life Cycle
Germination can take up to five to seven days depending on the soil temperatures. The soil temperatures that yield the highest growth is between 40 degrees fahrenheit and 75 degrees fahrenheit.
A rosette begins to form as the first true leaves emerge at the seedling stage. Lasting from 50 to 70 days, the leaves gradually curl inwards as the lettuce prepares to form its head. Again, the length of this stage depends on temperature, lasting anywhere from 7 to 14 days.
Harvesting red lettuce can start from this stage as individual leaves. If the leaves are not harvested in time or the temperature becomes too warm bolting can occur. Bolting is when the lettuce shoots upright and flowers. At this stage the leave become bitter, but are still edible if cooked.
Lactuca sativa is a self-fertilizing plant, which means there is less of a chance for these plants to adapt (change to survive in the environment).
Life History
Cultivated lettuce (Lactuca sativa) has been around for thousands of years. It is apparently derived from prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola), native to Eurasia and itself a common weed in North America. As a naturalized weed, cultivated lettuce is typically ephemeral, but it is found throughout most of the world. Lettuce is unquestionably the leafy vegetable most eaten by humans, and hundreds of cultivars exist. Lactuca sativa is grown anthropogenically (man made), in meadows, and in fields. Lactuca sativa is a species of annual herb in the family Asteraceae. They have a self-supporting growth form. They are associated with freshwater habitat. They have simple, broad leaves and achene. Individuals can grow to 0.64 m.
Common Lettuce Pests
Traditional Uses of Lactuca sativa
- Wild lettuce tea can help with coughing.
- Wild lettuce has been used since the 19th century for pain relief, to help induce sleep and as a tonic for the nervous system.
- Whooping cough
- Asthma
- Urinary tract problems
- Coughing
- Trouble sleeping (insomnia)
- Restlessness
- Excitability in children
- Painful menstrual periods
- Muscular or joint pains
- Poor circulation
- Opium substitute in cough preparations.
Recipes
Created by: Zoe Danville
Credits:
Created with an image by M.studio - "bowl of fresh lettuce leaf"