Lactuca floridana

(Linnaeus) Gaertner

Fruct. Sem. Pl. 2: 362. 1791.

Endemic
Basionym: Sonchus floridanus Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 2: 794. 1753
Synonyms: Lactuca floridana var. villosa (Jacquin) Cronquist Mulgedium floridanum
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 19. Treatment on page 261. Mentioned on page 260.

Annuals or biennials, 25–150(–200+) cm. Leaves on proximal 2/3–3/4 of each stem; blades of undivided cauline leaves oblong, ovate, or elliptic, margins entire or denticulate, midribs sometimes sparsely pilose. Heads in (± pyramidal) paniculiform arrays. Involucres (8–)10–12+ mm. Phyllaries usually reflexed in fruit. Florets 10–15(–25+); corollas bluish or whitish, seldom deliquescent. Cypselae: bodies brown (often mottled), ± compressed-lanceoloid to -fusiform, 4–5 mm, beaks ± stout, 0.1–0.5(–1) mm, faces 5–6-nerved; pappi white, 4–5 mm. 2n = 34.


Phenology: Flowering (Jun–)Aug–Sep(–Oct).
Habitat: Moist to wet places, margins of thickets and woods
Elevation: 10–200 m

Distribution

V19-349-distribution-map.gif

Man., Ont., Ala., Ark., Del., D.C., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Iowa, Kans., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Miss., Mo., Nebr., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Okla., Pa., S.C., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Va., W.Va., Wis.

Discussion

The “double” pappi of Lactuca floridana (and L. biennis) are very similar to pappi found in species assigned to Cicerbita Wallroth (ca. 35 spp., Europe, Asia, Africa). Return of the species to Cicerbita as C. floridana (Linnaeus) Wallroth may have merit.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.
... more about "Lactuca floridana"
John L. Strother +
(Linnaeus) Gaertner +
Sonchus floridanus +
Man. +, Ont. +, Ala. +, Ark. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Fla. +, Ga. +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Kans. +, Ky. +, La. +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Miss. +, Mo. +, Nebr. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Okla. +, Pa. +, S.C. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Va. +, W.Va. +  and Wis. +
10–200 m +
Moist to wet places, margins of thickets and woods +
Flowering (Jun–)Aug–Sep(–Oct). +
Fruct. Sem. Pl. +
Lactuca floridana var. villosa +  and Mulgedium floridanum +
Lactuca floridana +
species +