Edible: Leaves, Seeds, Vegetable
A leafy vegetable which forms a heart or clump of tightly wrapped leaves under cool temperature conditions. The leaves are often pale green. Plants are about 20 cm high. In the tropics a leafy annual grown for its succulent crisp radical leaves. The lowland species has loose leaves, crumpled with frilly margins while the leaves of the highland variety fold over the growing point to form a head; with light green almost white leaves of a greasy texture and coarse veins and prominent midrib. There are many lettuce varieties.
A temperate plant. Plants are grown throughout the country of Papua New Guinea but particularly in the highlands and mainly for sale. It grows best between 700-2,350 m above sea level in PNG. Leafy forms are used in cooking in many parts of Asia. It suits hardiness zones 6-11.
Common Names: Alface, Alfase, Chisa, Daun salad, Lechuga, Lekuke, Letesi, Letisi, Letsugas, Marul, Salad-pata, Salad, Saladi, Sangchu, Selada, Shang ts'oi, Sheng Cai, Sung chi, Sung choi, Vrtna solata, Woh sun
Synonyms:
Lactuca capitata (L.) DC.;
Lactuca crispa (L.) Roth;
Lactuca palmata Willd.;
Lactuca sativa subsp. asparagina;
Lactuca sativa subsp. capitata (L.) Chubl. & G. Martens;
Lactuca scariola var. sativa C.B. Clarke;