Prickly Lettuce

At a glance

Origin / distribution: US, English, French, US(Colonial), Iraq, US(Appalachia), Italian, German

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Antiphlogistic, Chafe, Diuretic, Emollient

Science studied: BETA-AMYRIN, CAOUTCHOUC, CAPROIC-ACID, CITRIC-ACID

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Asteraceae

Scientific name: Lactuca scariola

Common names: Prickly Lettuce

History

The source record documents this plant in Elsewhere, US, English, French, US(Colonial), Iraq, US(Appalachia), Italian and 4 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Antiphlogistic
• Chafe
• Diuretic
• Emollient
• Lactogogue
• Nervine
• Poison
• Sedative

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Elsewhere
• US
• English
• French
• US(Colonial)
• Iraq
• US(Appalachia)
• Italian
• German
• Dutch
• KR
• NO

Documented cultural uses

• Antiphlogistic
• Chafe
• Diuretic
• Emollient
• Lactogogue
• Nervine
• Poison
• Sedative
• Sore
• Tonic
• Medicine
• Skin lotion

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Chafe · US · "
• Diuretic · English · "
• Emollient · French · "
• Lactogogue · US · "
• Nervine · US(Colonial) · "
• Poison · US · "
• Sedative · Iraq · "
• Sedative · US(Colonial) · "
• Sore · US · "
• Tonic · US(Colonial) · "
• Diuretic · US · "
• Medicine · US(Appalachia) · "
• Poison · Italian · "
• Sedative · German · "
• Skin lotion · US · "
• Spasm · Dutch · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of lactuca scariola with a heterogeneous catalyst: The investigation of temperature, reaction time and synergistic effect of catalysts. · 2020 source ↗
• Anti-diabetic effects of aqueous prickly lettuce (Lactuca scariola Linn.) leaves extract in alloxan-induced male diabetic rats treated with nickel (II). · 2016 source ↗
• New antibacterial triterpenoid saponin from Lactuca scariola. · 2008 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• BETA-AMYRIN
• CAOUTCHOUC
• CAPROIC-ACID
• CITRIC-ACID
• 8-DEOXYLACTUCIN
• GERMANICOL
• HYOSCYAMINE
• GAMMA-LACTUCEROL
• LACTUCIN
• LINOLEIC-ACID
• MANNITOL
• OLEIC-ACID
• BETA-SITOSTEROL
• SQUALENE
• TARAXASTEROL
• ALPHA-TOCOPHEROL

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Dr. Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases · CC0

GBIF Backbone Taxonomy · CC BY 4.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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