Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_3186.JPG-07-28-2024
Flower name (scientific): Lactuca canadensis Linnaeus PY: 1759. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) lak-TOO-kuh (or lak-TOO-ka) kan-ah-DEN-sis (or ka-na-DEN-see)
Flower name (common): Wild 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: Of or relating to Canada.
Common name origin: For the typical habitat. 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 0.3 inches (5 to 8 mm)
     Petal count: 15 up to 20 or more ray florets.
     Color: yellow
     Other: flower arrangement, Panicle
Plant description:
     Size: 48 to 120 inches (1.2 to 3 m) typically, can reach up to 4.5 m or more.
     Stem hairy: usually glabrous
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is simple and lobed, winged petiolate or sessile, margins entire to denticulate.
     Size: Basal and lower stem leaves up to about 30 to 35 cm in length, and up to about 12 cm wide.
     Color: medium green
     Hairy: mostly glabrous with some sparse hairs along the midvein of the abaxial surface.
     Other: Shape: leaf, oblong, obovate, or lanceolate to spatulate or lance-linear (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: Prairies, forests, savannas, woodland openings, thickets, roadsides, disturbed areas, sun to shade, moist to dry.
Fruit: Cypselae brown colored, typically mottled, about 5 to 6 mm in length.
Seed: Seeds have a tuft of white hairs to aid dispersal in the wind.
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): In bloom, no close lookalikes in the region.
Ethnobotany:
Latitude: 44.795327
Longitude: -91.501617
Altitude: 286.70
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, 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: (AL, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (AB, BC, LB, MB, NB, NF, NS, ON, PE, QC, YT) Click here for distribution map
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists one homotypic synonym for this plant.
Heterotypic Synonym(s): POWO lists 37 heterotypic synonyms for this plant.
Autonym( ): na
Wetland Status (NC): FACU
Wetland Status (MW): FACU