Wild lettuce is biannual plant which is naturalized throughout the
Europe and other parts of world.
It is widely used plant in ancient days and thought to possess
therapeutic uses and also taken as sedative.
Sometimes lettuce is used as substitute of opium due to its sedative
aspects which aids in sleep.
In ancient times people used wild lettuce for various fatal ailments and
also as opium due to its similar smell and latex produced by lettuce.
Wild lettuce is biannual plant that grows to 6 feet and the stem is
erect which springs up from a brown tap root is soft, pale green having
purple spots.
The lower part of the stem is prickly and having short horizontal
branches above.
The leaves are oblong, ovate and large and 6 to 18 cm long. The fruit
is rough, oval having broad wing along edge.
The entire plant produces a milky juice and taste bitter with a strong
pungent odour.
Wild lettuce is noxious weed which is usually found in waste lands and
on the banks of river.
It is widely cultivated in throughout Europe including Austria, France,
Germany and Scotland.
Leaves and dried milk juice.
Lactuca virosa is found to be contained lactucic acid, lactucopicrin, 50
to 60 per cent lactucerin (lactucone) and lactucin.
The latex contains few chemicals like albumen, mannite, and caoutchouc.
The uses of lactusa virosa are similar to opium and also used as
tranquilizer to aid sound sleep.
It is also used for therapeutic uses and cools down anxiety.
The leaves are also used as mild sedative, diuretic, diaphoretic and
also been used to cure dropsy, colic and insomnia.