Lactuca
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The
| Lettuces | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genus: | Lactuca |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Type: | Annuals, Perennials, Biennials |
| Weediness: | Most species are weedy |
| Pollination: | Insect |
Lactuca, commonly known as lettuce, is a genus of flowering plants in the Sunflower family Asteraceae. The genus includes about 100 species, distributed worldwide, but mainly in temperate Eurasia.
[edit] Description
Its best-known representative is the garden lettuce (Lactuca sativa), with its many varieties. But many are just common weeds. They are annuals or perennials. Their height can vary between 10-180 cm. They form heads or capitula in panicles of yellow, brown or purple flowers in ray florets.
The non-edible species may contain bitter elements. Others contain a milky juice.
[edit] Growing conditions
[edit] Species
- Lactuca biennis : Tall Blue Lettuce, Wild Blue Lettuce
- Lactuca canadensis : Canada Lettuce, Florida Blue Lettuce, Wild Lettuce (North America)
- Lactuca sativa : Garden Lettuce, Lettuce
- Lactuca serriola : Prickly Lettuce, China Lettuce, Wild Lettuce (Southern Europe)
- Lactuca tatarica : Blue Lettuce, Chickory Lettuce, Russian Blue Lettuce (Asia, India)
[edit] Uses
The garden lettuce is grown as a salad green, other species occur as weeds.
[edit] Pests and Diseases
[edit] Pests
- Pea Aphid: Acyrthosiphon pisum
- Bean Aphid: Aphis fabae
- Brown Ambrosia Aphid: Dactynotus ambrosiae
- Potato Aphid: Macrosiphum euphorbiae
- Green Peach Aphid: Myzus persicae
- Red Lettuce Aphid: Uroleucon pseudambrosiae
- Cabbage Aphid: Brevicoryne brassicae
- Lettuce Aphid: Nasonovia ribisnigri
- Lettuce Root Aphid: Pemphigus bursarius
- Aster Leafhopper: Macrosteles facifrons
- Southern Garden Leafhopper: Empoasca solana
- Silverleaf Whitefly: Bemisia argentifolii
- Greenhouse Whitefly: Trialeurodes vaporariorum
- Pale Legume Bug: Lygus elisus
- Western Tarnished Plant Bug: Lygus hesperus
- Tarnished Plant Bug: Lygus lineolaris
- False Cinch Bug: Nysius raphanus
- Garden Fleahopper: Halticus bractatus
- Western Flower Thrips: Frankliniella occidentalis
- American Serpentine Leafminer: Liriomyza trifolii
- Chrysanthemum Leafminer: Phytomyza syngenesiae
- Banded Cucumber Beetle: Diabrotica balteata
- Palestriped Flea Beetle: Systena blanda
- Redheaded Flea Beetle: Systena frontalis
- Zebra Caterpillar: Ceramica picta
- Corn Earworm: Helicoverpa/Heliothis zea
- Variegated Cutworm: Peridroma saucia
- Beet Armyworm: Spodoptera exigua
- Yellowstriped Armyworm: Spodoptera ornithogalli
- Cabbage Looper: Trichoplusia ni
- Celery Leaftier: Udea rubigalis
- Alfalfa Looper: Autographa californica Western US
- Celery Looper: Anagrapha falcifera
- Saltmarsh Caterpillar: Estigmene acrea
- Western Corn Rootworm: Diabrotica virgifera virgifera
- Western Yellowstriped Armyworm: Spodoptera praefica
- Angle Shades: Phlogophora meticulosa
- Autumnal Rustic: Eugnorisma glareosa
- Cabbage Moth: Mamestra brassicae
- Common Swift: Korscheltellus lupulina
- Garden Dart: Euxoa nigricans
- Ghost Moth: Hepialus humuli
- The Gothic: Naenia typica
- Grey Chi: Antitype chi
- Heart and Club: Agrotis clavis
- Heart and Dart: Agrotis exclamationis
- Ingrailed Clay: Diarsia mendica
- Large Yellow Underwing: Noctua pronuba
- The Nutmeg: Discestra trifolii
- Setaceous Hebrew Character: Xestia c-nigrum
- The Shark: Cucullia umbratica
- Small Angle Shades: Euplexia lucipara
- Turnip Moth: Agrotis segetum
[edit] Diseases
[edit] Other Problems
[edit] References
- Ann Fowler Rhoads and Timothy A. Block (2000). The Plants of Pennsylvania: An Illustrated Manual. Anna Anisko, illustrator. Morris Arboretum, University of Pennsylvania Press. pp. 225-227.
- Staff of the L. H. Bailey Hortorium (1976). Hortus Third: A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada. Cornell University Press. pp. 631.
- Cranshaw, Whitney (2004). Garden Insects of North America: The Ultimate Guide to Backyard Bugs. Princeton University Press. pp. 602.
- Pippa Greenwood, Andrew Halstead, A.R. Chase, Daniel Gilrein (2000). American Horticultural Society Pests & Diseases: The Complete Guide to Preventing, Identifying, and Treating Plant Problems (First Edition ed.). Dorling Kindersley (DK) Publishing, inc.. pp. 202.
