Prickly Lettuce

Prickly Lettuce

Prickly Lettuce

Lactuca serriola

Annual or biennial.  Widely found in gardens, roadsides, wasteland and degraded pastures.  

Details Description
Type
Herb
Group
Daisy
Identifying Characteristics

Herb, 1-2 m tall. Stems are white and bristly or smooth. Leaves are a blue-green colour. The outer edge and main vein has spines. Lower leaves are up to 30 cm long, and upper leaves are smaller. Leaves are oval in shape. Flower heads are 1.1-1.3 cm and pale yellow often tinged with purple. Flowers September-April.
Distinctive Features

A weed with an erect stem and leaves that have a spiny edge.
Life Form Group
Herb
Life Form Codes
Large Herb (LH)
EVC types
EVC 649: Stony Knoll Shrubland
Native Status
Introduced
Weed Status Invasiveness
High INVASIVE
Weed Status Impact
Low IMPACT
Taxonomy
Phylum
Charophyta
Class
Equisetopsida
Order
Asterales
Family
Asteraceae
Genus
Lactuca
Species
serriola
Prickly Lettuce
Native to Europe and western Asia. Occurs in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, Northern Territory and New South Wales.

Distribution maps indicate current and historic locations where species have been sighted.

Source: Atlas of Living Australia

Endangered Status
DEPI Advisory List
Not listed
FFG Act
Not listed
EPBC Act
Not listed

The conservation status of species is listed within Victoria and Australia.

The Department of Environment and Primary Industry (DEPI) Advisory List consists of non-statutory advisory lists of rare or threatened flora and fauna within Victoria.

The Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act) lists threatened species in Victoria. Under the Act, an Action Statement is produced for each listed species.

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) is the Australian Government’s key piece of environmental legislation, listing nationally threatened native species and ecological communities.