Lactuca tatarica

Blue lettuce

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Common name

Blue lettuce

Scientific name

Lactuca tatarica (L.) C. A. Meyer.

Conservation status

PROTECTED species in Bulgaria.

The species is listed as "Endangered" in the Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria^[1].

Threats

The limited distribution of the species and its specific ecological requirements, vast construction activities at the seaside, habitat destruction and littering, trampling and ploughing of the sands^[2].

Description and identification

Perennial herbaceous plant with branched subterranean rhizome. All parts of the plant contain milky latex. Stem up to 80 cm high, usually not branched, glabrous. Basal, lower and middle cauline leaves deeply pinnately lobed, upper cauline leaves entire, serrate, glabrous, waxy. Inflorescences branched, with 5–15 capitula. Phyllaries of the involucrum overlapping, in 3 rows, glabrous, green or with violet tint. All flowers ligulate, blue. Fruit achene with pappus. Fl. VI–IX. fr. VI–X. Reproduction by seeds and vegetatively^[3].

Distribution in Bulgaria

Black Sea coast, NE Bulgaria (Devnya, unconfirmed since 1932)^[4].

General distribution

C, E and SE Europe, SW Asia^[5].

References

[1] Boris Assyov & Cvetomir M. Denchev. 2015. In: Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria.

[2] Boris Assyov & Cvetomir M. Denchev. 2015. In: Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria.

[3] Boris Assyov & Cvetomir M. Denchev. 2015. In: Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria.

[4] Boris Assyov & Cvetomir M. Denchev. 2015. In: Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria.

[5] Boris Assyov & Cvetomir M. Denchev. 2015. In: Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Lactuca tatarica на български

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