Comments on: Wild Lettuce Anyone? http://witchenkitchen.com/2008/06/14/wild-lettuce-anyone/ Beginners herbal & wise woman wisdom. Easy practical information about herbs, making herbal remedies, cosmetics, household items. Kitchen witch magic! Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:34:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: tammy http://witchenkitchen.com/2008/06/14/wild-lettuce-anyone/#comment-674 tammy Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:24:19 +0000 http://witchenkitchen.com/?p=100#comment-674 that's wonderful Rick! I agree, sleep is so important. We don't realize that sometimes until we have to do without it for a while. I'm so glad you enjoy the posts. Thanks for your kind words :-) that’s wonderful Rick! I agree, sleep is so important. We don’t realize that sometimes until we have to do without it for a while. I’m so glad you enjoy the posts. Thanks for your kind words :-)

]]> By: Rick Herzog http://witchenkitchen.com/2008/06/14/wild-lettuce-anyone/#comment-671 Rick Herzog Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:00:36 +0000 http://witchenkitchen.com/?p=100#comment-671 Thanks to your wonderful blog on wild lettuce, I am relaxing very nicely with a cup of wild lettuce/hops tea right now. I have intermittent insomnia and have not found an herb quite as good as this one you suggested. My first time trying it, not long ago, I slept 2 hours later than I have in years, and I really needed the zzzzs at the time. I love your site and how clearly you explain things, and have photos that really help show the process you are describing. As you may realize too, quality sleep is priceless sometimes, and I am just wanting to let you know, how appreciative I am for your post, and your sharing spirit. Thanks to your wonderful blog on wild lettuce, I am relaxing very nicely with a cup of wild lettuce/hops tea right now. I have intermittent insomnia and have not found an herb quite as good as this one you suggested. My first time trying it, not long ago, I slept 2 hours later than I have in years, and I really needed the zzzzs at the time. I love your site and how clearly you explain things, and have photos that really help show the process you are describing. As you may realize too, quality sleep is priceless sometimes, and I am just wanting to let you know, how appreciative I am for your post, and your sharing spirit.

]]> By: tammy http://witchenkitchen.com/2008/06/14/wild-lettuce-anyone/#comment-652 tammy Tue, 24 Jun 2008 15:55:49 +0000 http://witchenkitchen.com/?p=100#comment-652 thanks for the info, Brian. The internet is just full of wonderful resources for we plant enthusiasts! thanks for the info, Brian. The internet is just full of wonderful resources for we plant enthusiasts!

]]> By: Brian http://witchenkitchen.com/2008/06/14/wild-lettuce-anyone/#comment-649 Brian Tue, 24 Jun 2008 03:41:42 +0000 http://witchenkitchen.com/?p=100#comment-649 Yo! Tammy, it appears that you are experienced with a lot of plants--far more so than I am. I see that you refer people to the USDA site; and that's cool. I wonder if you've seen the "plants for a future" site? I use it a whole lot; I find it's only drawbacks to be the lack of pictures to aid in plant ID, and its focus on the UK. Still, the information there I've found to be a constant source of astonishment! BUT: I'm new to all this. I mean I've found about 25 species of edible/medicinal plants in my yard---weeds; which I'd have otherwise cursed trampled, and cut down or pulled up to replace with useless grass. Ah, my poor little friends; I promise them I'd have not been so cruel if I'd only known that they had value! Anyway, I think the website is PFAF.org. cut and paste "plants for a future" into Google and I'm sure you'll find it--forgive me for assuming that you don't already know about it, but if you don't, it's a resource! Brian Yo!

Tammy,

it appears that you are experienced with a lot of plants–far more so than I am.

I see that you refer people to the USDA site; and that’s cool.

I wonder if you’ve seen the “plants for a future” site? I use it a whole lot; I find it’s only drawbacks to be the lack of pictures to aid in plant ID, and its focus on the UK. Still, the information there I’ve found to be a constant source of astonishment! BUT: I’m new to all this. I mean I’ve found about 25 species of edible/medicinal plants in my yard—weeds; which I’d have otherwise cursed trampled, and cut down or pulled up to replace with useless grass. Ah, my poor little friends; I promise them I’d have not been so cruel if I’d only known that they had value!

Anyway, I think the website is PFAF.org. cut and paste “plants for a future” into Google and I’m sure you’ll find it–forgive me for assuming that you don’t already know about it, but if you don’t, it’s a resource!

Brian

]]> By: BK http://witchenkitchen.com/2008/06/14/wild-lettuce-anyone/#comment-646 BK Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:51:27 +0000 http://witchenkitchen.com/?p=100#comment-646 Thanks Tammy, that's very informative. I found some more plants which definitely seem to be lactucas. Now -- reading what you posted -- I suspect them of being hairy lettuce since the prickles were soft and covered the entire leaf. Also, the bottom of the stem was purplish-red (although your photo here shows a purplish-red stem at the base too). My main reservation on the ID is that hairy lettuce is apparently endangered around here according to the USDA site. So maybe it was some other variety. Well, this seems like a fairy safe "family" to try at any rate. Thanks again for the great info! Thanks Tammy, that’s very informative. I found some more plants which definitely seem to be lactucas. Now — reading what you posted — I suspect them of being hairy lettuce since the prickles were soft and covered the entire leaf. Also, the bottom of the stem was purplish-red (although your photo here shows a purplish-red stem at the base too). My main reservation on the ID is that hairy lettuce is apparently endangered around here according to the USDA site. So maybe it was some other variety.

Well, this seems like a fairy safe “family” to try at any rate. Thanks again for the great info!

]]> By: tammy http://witchenkitchen.com/2008/06/14/wild-lettuce-anyone/#comment-628 tammy Fri, 20 Jun 2008 23:00:05 +0000 http://witchenkitchen.com/?p=100#comment-628 There are several different species of wild lettuce. Some of them do not have the prickles on the midrib - Lactuca canadensis, for example. I think I have a couple different species here, some with prickles, some without. All the leaves are similar, though. The particular species of wild lettuce that I understand to be medicinal and can be used interchangeably are L. scariola, L. canadensis, and L. virosa, but there may be others as well. One species of Lactuca is L. hirsuta (hairy lettuce) and has a similar leaf shape. I do not know it's medicinal properties, if any. Sounds like a fun topic for more research! You can search the USDA plants database for Lactuca to see a lot of different species: http://plants.usda.gov/ The wild lettuces in my yard that do have prickles are not sharp like those on sow thistle, and they don't have the leaf tip thorn. They are soft and prickly, more than hairs but not as sharp as sow thistle. You can run your finger along them without fear of getting stabbed and it would probably not catch on your clothes if you brushed up against it. Sow thistle have all around harder, spikier leaves. You can wait for flowers to get a more positive id also. The sow thistle and wild lettuce are very similar when describing using words, but easy (for me) to tell apart after having seen them both in person. There are probably other differentiating characteristics also, but I don't know what they all are. As far as I know, there are no poisonous look-a-likes for them, though. Young sow thistle is edible also :-) There are several different species of wild lettuce. Some of them do not have the prickles on the midrib - Lactuca canadensis, for example. I think I have a couple different species here, some with prickles, some without. All the leaves are similar, though. The particular species of wild lettuce that I understand to be medicinal and can be used interchangeably are L. scariola, L. canadensis, and L. virosa, but there may be others as well. One species of Lactuca is L. hirsuta (hairy lettuce) and has a similar leaf shape. I do not know it’s medicinal properties, if any. Sounds like a fun topic for more research! You can search the USDA plants database for Lactuca to see a lot of different species: http://plants.usda.gov/

The wild lettuces in my yard that do have prickles are not sharp like those on sow thistle, and they don’t have the leaf tip thorn. They are soft and prickly, more than hairs but not as sharp as sow thistle. You can run your finger along them without fear of getting stabbed and it would probably not catch on your clothes if you brushed up against it. Sow thistle have all around harder, spikier leaves. You can wait for flowers to get a more positive id also. The sow thistle and wild lettuce are very similar when describing using words, but easy (for me) to tell apart after having seen them both in person. There are probably other differentiating characteristics also, but I don’t know what they all are. As far as I know, there are no poisonous look-a-likes for them, though. Young sow thistle is edible also :-)

]]> By: BK http://witchenkitchen.com/2008/06/14/wild-lettuce-anyone/#comment-622 BK Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:45:03 +0000 http://witchenkitchen.com/?p=100#comment-622 Oh and does it have little thorns on the tips of the leaf "teeth", like sow thistle? Oh and does it have little thorns on the tips of the leaf “teeth”, like sow thistle?

]]> By: BK http://witchenkitchen.com/2008/06/14/wild-lettuce-anyone/#comment-621 BK Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:41:28 +0000 http://witchenkitchen.com/?p=100#comment-621 I have been trying to ID this plant with little success. I thought I had it, but I think what I found was actually sow thistle. It had little spikes along the ends of the leaves, not down the midrib. Alas! I find plants that resemble the pic here with HAIRS down the midrib, but not spiky. I assume the ones on proper wild lettuce are definitely prickly? I have been trying to ID this plant with little success. I thought I had it, but I think what I found was actually sow thistle. It had little spikes along the ends of the leaves, not down the midrib. Alas!

I find plants that resemble the pic here with HAIRS down the midrib, but not spiky. I assume the ones on proper wild lettuce are definitely prickly?

]]> By: plantainpatch http://witchenkitchen.com/2008/06/14/wild-lettuce-anyone/#comment-615 plantainpatch Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:06:46 +0000 http://witchenkitchen.com/?p=100#comment-615 Thank you Tammy! Thank you Tammy!

]]> By: tammy http://witchenkitchen.com/2008/06/14/wild-lettuce-anyone/#comment-614 tammy Mon, 16 Jun 2008 04:25:51 +0000 http://witchenkitchen.com/?p=100#comment-614 I haven't read anything so far about the different colors of sap. Wood has an entry on it in both the Earthwise Herbal and in the Book of Herbal Wisdom (I didn't realize the latter until just now! Been a while since I looked at that book). He only refers to the sap as "white". The sap in mine were also milky white, but also some were more yellowy. Now thinking about it, I believe the sap may have become more yellowy, and even orangey, after it was exposed to air for a while. I noticed the darker orangey color on some of the sap that had dripped down onto another leaf while I was examining the leaf I had plucked off, so it had been in the air for a while. I've read the sap will turn brown as it dries. I haven’t read anything so far about the different colors of sap. Wood has an entry on it in both the Earthwise Herbal and in the Book of Herbal Wisdom (I didn’t realize the latter until just now! Been a while since I looked at that book). He only refers to the sap as “white”. The sap in mine were also milky white, but also some were more yellowy. Now thinking about it, I believe the sap may have become more yellowy, and even orangey, after it was exposed to air for a while. I noticed the darker orangey color on some of the sap that had dripped down onto another leaf while I was examining the leaf I had plucked off, so it had been in the air for a while. I’ve read the sap will turn brown as it dries.

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