Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_3308.JPG-08-04-2024
Flower name (scientific): Lactuca biennis (Moench) Fernald PY: 1940. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) lak-TOO-kuh (or lak-TOO-ka) by-EN-iss
Flower name (common): Tall Blue Lettuce
Family name (common): Aster
Family name (scientific): Asteraceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: From the Latin lac meaning milk, referring to the milky sap.
    Specific epithet: Latin meaning of two years; biennial.
Common name origin: Tall refers to the plant height, which is typically up to around 200 cm, but can reach up to 300 cm (just under 10 feet). The flowers can be pale blue in color. Lettuce comes from the fact that this plant is in the same genus as the common vegetable lettuce, which is Lactuca sativa.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.2 to 0.4 inches (5 to 10 mm)
     Petal count: typically 20 to 30 ray florets; can be as low as 15 and up to 50+.
     Color: white or pale blue
     Other: flower arrangement, Panicle
Plant description:
     Size: 30 to 80 inches (76 to 203 cm)
     Stem hairy: glabrous to sparsely to moderately hairy.
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is simple and lobed, winged petiolate, margins entire or denticulate.
     Size: About 10 to 40 cm in length and 4 to 20 cm wide.
     Color: medium green
     Hairy: The adaxial surface glabrous to sparsely hairy, the abaxial surface sparsely hairy along veins.
     Other: Shape: leaf, ovate to lanceolate (FNA)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): July to September
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Annual/Biennial
Habitat: Woods, meadows, swamps, along stream banks, moist to wet soil, shade to semi shade.
Fruit: Cypselae 4 to 6 mm in length, brown colored, typically mottled.
Seed: Seeds have a tuft of brown to gray hairs, which aids seed dispersal in the wind.
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Lactuca floridana (Woodland Lettuce) has some similarity to Lactuca biennis. The bracts of Lactuca biennis typically have a purple-colored tip and the flowers have about 15 to 30 ray florets, whereas the bracts of Lactuca floridana have a more extentsive purple coloration and the flowers typically have about 10 to 15 ray florets, though the count can be higher. When seeds are available, Lactuca floridana has a tuft of white hairs on the seed, whereas Lactuca biennis has a tuft of brown colored hairs on the seed.
Ethnobotany:
Latitude: 44.794498
Longitude: -91.494865
Altitude: 284.30
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Chippewa, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AK, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, IA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (AB, BC, LB, MB, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK, YT) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: Sonchus biennis Moench Methodus, 545. 1794.
Homotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 1 homotypic synonym for this species.
Heterotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 17 heterotypic synonyms for this species.
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): FAC
Wetland Status (MW): FAC