Lactuca serriola f. serriola L. APNI* Description: Biennial 1–2 m high; stem glabrous or bristly, whitish.
Leaves to c. 20 cm long, glaucous, margins and midrib with spines; lower leaves obovate-oblong, usually deeply pinnatifid, rarely margins entire; stem leaves clasping, with acute to obtuse auricles, usually held in a vertical plane, lobate to subpinnatisect in middle third of stem.
Heads solitary in axils of reduced leaves, pedicellate; involucral bracts 3- or 4-seriate.
Achenes 6–8 mm long, body 3–4 mm long, 5–9-ribbed on each face, minutely spiny below beak; pappus c. 3 mm long.
Flowering: September–April
Distribution and occurrence: Weed of gardens, roadsides, wasteland, cultivation and degraded pastures. Native of Europe and western Asia.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *SC, *NT, *CT, *ST, *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SWP, *NFWP
Other Australian states: *Qld *Vic. *W.A.
Two forms of this species are recognised, both of which occur in NSW. Differs from f. integrifolia by its lobate to subpinnatisect stem-leaves, at least those in the middle third.
Text by L. Murray, edited C. Herscovitch Sep 2008, per I.R. Thompson in Muelleria 25:59-100 (2007)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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