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Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) – Finely Cut Leaves from France
€7.00
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Finely cut leaves of wild lettuce, Lactuca virosa, also recorded as great lettuce or bitter lettuce, an annual to biennial plant of the daisy family (Asteraceae). The supplier gives France as the origin. Herborist packs it in 50 g, 250 g or 1 kg pouches, sold as a collectible botanical item, not for consumption.
- Botanical name: Lactuca virosa L.
- Family: Asteraceae (daisy family)
- Synonyms: Wiestia virosa, Lactuca scariola subsp. virosa
Smartshop · Lactuca virosa L. · 50 g / 250 g / 1 kg
Lactuca virosa leaves from France, finely cut
This pouch holds the finely cut leaves of Lactuca virosa, a plant recorded in English as wild lettuce, great lettuce and bitter lettuce. The Herborist label names the plant and tags the plant part as [herb]. The supplier listing linked to this product is more specific: leaf, finely cut, with France as the country of origin, which lies within the native range of the species. Mycotrop offers 50 g, 250 g and 1 kg of the same material.
- 50 g / 250 g / 1 kg
- Asteraceae
- Leaf
- Finely cut
- Botanical name
- Lactuca virosa L.
- Family
- Asteraceae (daisy family)
- Synonyms
- Wiestia virosa, Lactuca scariola subsp. virosa
- Common names
- Wild lettuce, great lettuce, bitter lettuce
- Plant part
- Leaf (supplier listing)
- Form
- Finely cut
Reported effects and traditional use
Lactuca virosa, wild lettuce, is a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae) that produces a bitter milky juice. In the nineteenth century, Polish medical publications ranked this dried juice, lactucarium, among the intoxicants and described it as weaker than opium (Trojanowska 2005).
The bitter sesquiterpene lactones lactucin and lactucopicrin are its characteristic compounds. As isolated compounds, they have been studied in mice (Wesołowska et al. 2006). In the nineteenth century, the substance responsible for the juice’s action had not been identified (Trojanowska 2005).
| Known compounds | Bitter sesquiterpene lactones: lactucin, lactucopicrin and 11β,13-dihydrolactucin, characteristic of the species. |
|---|---|
| Reported effects | Lactucarium was said to be intoxicating and weaker than opium (Polish nineteenth-century publications); few modern data describe its effects in humans. |
| Traditional use | Poland, nineteenth century: dried milky juice (lactucarium) cited in medical works. |
| State of research | A few studies of isolated compounds in mice (2006); very little human data. No health claim is authorised for this plant in the EU. |
Good to know
- Eight patients were admitted to hospital in northern Iran with poisoning from wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa); all recovered (Besharat et al. 2009).
The plant
Linnaeus named Lactuca virosa in Species Plantarum in 1753 and gave its habitat as banks and hedges in southern Europe. A description on the Cichorieae Systematics Portal, based on Feráková’s study of the European Lactuca species, gives an annual to biennial plant up to 200 cm tall with an erect stem. The leaves are broad, with a blunt tip and an arrow-shaped base, and carry small prickles along the midrib underneath. Numerous flower heads about 10 mm across, each made up of around 15 florets with pale yellow ligules, form a long, pyramid-shaped panicle. The fruits are blackish and carry a white pappus. In Switzerland, Flora Helvetica records flowering from July to September, on stony ground in warm places and on rubble sites.
Native range
The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, lists the species as native to much of western, central and southern Europe and to north-west Africa. Its list includes France, Corsica, Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Greece, Hungary and Romania, as well as Morocco, Algeria and Madeira. It has been introduced in Poland, central Chile and parts of the United States, among them California and Alabama. In Switzerland, Info Flora lists it as near threatened on the national Red List.
Label and contents
The product photo shows a kraft-paper pouch with a sage-green Herborist label reading "Wild Lettuce", "Lactuca virosa" and "[herb]", next to a small heap of finely cut, dark green-brown leaf with a few paler stem pieces.
Storing your botanicals
Keep dried plants in their tightly closed pouch or in an airtight jar, away from light, moisture and heat. Powders absorb moisture easily, so close them again straight away. For extracts, tinctures and capsules, follow the instructions on the label and the printed date.
Before using a plant
- Keep plants out of the reach of children and pets.
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, or taking any medication, ask a doctor or pharmacist first: many plants interact with medicines.
- Stop immediately if you have an allergic reaction or feel unwell.
- The information on this page describes the product; it does not replace medical advice.
Specifications
| Botanical name | Lactuca virosa L. |
|---|---|
| Family | Asteraceae (daisy family) |
| Synonyms | Wiestia virosa, Lactuca scariola subsp. virosa |
| Common names | Wild lettuce, great lettuce, bitter lettuce |
| Plant part | Leaf (supplier listing) |
| Form | Finely cut |
| Origin | France (supplier listing) |
| Pack sizes | 50 g, 250 g, 1 kg |
| Supplier | Herborist |
| Sold as | Collectible botanical item; not for consumption |
Discreet delivery
Orders are packed on working days and leave in plain outer packaging that does not describe the contents. Once your order has shipped, we email you the tracking link when one is available. Estimated delivery times, right of withdrawal and exceptions: Delivery, tracking and returns.
Sources: Trojanowska 2005, Kwart Hist Nauki Tech 50; Wesołowska et al. 2006, J Ethnopharmacol 107; Besharat et al. 2009, BMJ Case Rep; supplier information; Plants of the World Online (Kew); GBIF. Updated 3 October 2026 by the Mycotrop team.
Frequently asked questions
What was wild lettuce (Lactuca virosa) used for in the past?
In the nineteenth century, Polish medical publications described its dried milky juice, lactucarium, as an intoxicant weaker than opium. Its bitter lactones, lactucin and lactucopicrin, have been studied in mice; human data remain scarce.
How is it told apart from Lactuca serriola?
Flora Helvetica describes Lactuca virosa as similar to Lactuca serriola, but with stem leaves whose blades are held more or less horizontally. They are usually undivided, only rarely lobed, and clasp the stem with broad, toothed lobes.
Which pack sizes are available?
Three: 50 g, 250 g and 1 kg of the same finely cut leaf.
Where does it come from?
The supplier listing gives France, which is part of the native range recorded by WCVP. The pouch label names no country.
Why does the label say herb?
The Herborist label uses the tag [herb]. The supplier listing specifies leaf as the plant part, and the photo shows cut leaf with a few stem pieces.
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