Larkspur lettuce
Lactuca tatarica

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A herb. It grows 15-60 cm tall. It has a taproot and keeps growing from year to year. The stems are erect and branch near the top. The leaves are mainly near the base. The leaves are 6-19 cm long by 206 cm wide and they have coarse teeth. The flowers are purplish-blue.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. It grows in wetlands. In the Himalayas it grows between 3,000-4,500 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Central Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Mongolia, North America, Tajikistan

How it is used for food

The leaves are used as a vegetable.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Makucai

Synonyms

Mulgedium tataricum (L.) DC.; Sonchus tataricus L.; and many others.