Effect:
pain relieving, diuretic, antispasmodic, digestive, hypnotic, narcotic, sedative
Areas of application:
Insomnia, as a sedative, restlessness, anxiety, pain relief, for shock, menstrual pain, muscle pain, joint pain, colic, warts
Plant parts used:
The milky sap found throughout the plant.
leaves, stems
Collection time:
June to August
To find:
Found in forests, thickets, savannahs, lake and river banks, limestone clearings, fence rows, pastures, abandoned fields, open areas of power lines, road and railway edges, vacant lots and brownfields.
Ingredients:
Sesquiterpene lactones, bitter substances
Miscellaneous:
Wild lettuce grows 90 to 150 cm high, usually on a single stem. Its root, leaves and stems contain a milky sap. The main trunk is light green to reddish-green, occasionally with purple stripes. The green, alternate leaves sometimes have purple edges or a yellowish tint. The lance-shaped leaves can grow up to 8 cm wide and 25 cm long. The leaves are usually, but not always, lobed and look similar to a dandelion leaf. Some species have spines/prickly hairs along the midrib on the underside of the leaf and some have teeth on the leaf edges that are very prickly. The white milky juice turns brownish when exposed to air. This is an important identifying feature. The wild lettuce blooms in late summer to early autumn. Its flowers are small and similar to those of the dandelion with yellow or slightly reddish-orange petals. The flower heads are much smaller than those of the dandelion - about 0.8 cm in diameter with 12 to 25 rays - and they are located well above the leaves on a tall stem, unlike the dandelion, whose flowers grow lower to the ground. After 3 to 4 weeks, the flowers are replaced by dark brown, dry fruits with white hairs. The taproot is thick and deep.
🛑 Should not be overdosed because of the calming effect.
In the kitchen you can eat the bitter leaves cooked as spinach.
The wild lettuce is also known as opium lettuce because of its weak opium-like effect.
Lactuca canadensis and Lactuca serriola (spiny lettuce) are not poisonous!
Lactuca virose = poison lettuce: The dried leaves and especially the lactucarium must be classified as highly poisonous. Taking significantly more than one gram of Lactucarium initially causes headaches, sweats and dizziness. According to Hager, however, “serious poisonings have almost never occurred when used as intended.”