Lactuca muralis, the wall lettuce, is a perennial flowering plant in the dandelion tribe within the daisy family, also referred to as Mycelis muralis
Lactuca muralis is slender, hairless herb growing from 25 to 150 cm (10 to 59 in) tall. It often has purplish stems, and exudes a milky juice.
The lower leaves are lyre shaped, pinnate shaped. The lobes are triangular in shape, the terminal lobe being the largest. The upper leaves are stalkless, smaller and less lobed. All leaves are red tinged.
The achenes are short beaked, spindle shaped and black. The pappus has simple white hairs,the inner longer than the outer.The flower heads are yellow, small with only 4-5 yellow ray florets. 1 cm (1โ2 in) wide more or less, on branches 90 degrees to the main stem, in loose panicle. It flowers from June until September.
Lactuca muralis is similar to Lactuca serriola L. and Lactuca virosa L. but clearly distinguished by having only 5 florets.Its chief characteristic is its open airy clumps of yellow flowers. Each "flower" is actually a composite flower, consisting of 4-5 petal-like flowers (strap or ray flowers), each approximately 5โ7 mm (0.20โ0.28 in) in length. There are no disc flowers. Lactuca muralis grows about 2โ4 feet (0.6โ1.2 m) tall with the lower leaves pinnately toothed and clasping.
This plant might be poisonous
How to get rid of:
Constant weeding. the manual method is your best option.