Lactuca serriola L., Cent. Pl. 2: 29. 1756; Sharma & Kachroo, Fl. Jammu (Illustr.) 2: t. 151. 1983; Dhaliwal & Sharma, Fl. Kullu Dist. 384. 1999; Kaur & Sharma, Fl. Sirmaur 384. 2004; Singh & Sharma, Fl. Chamba Dist. 420. 2006; Fl; Fl. China @ eFloras.org 20-21: 237; L. scariola L., Sp. Pl., ed.2: 1119. 1763; Hook. f., Fl. Brit. Ind. 3: 404. 1882; Collett, Fl. Siml. ed. 2: 284. 1921 (Reprint 1980); L. sativa subsp. serriola (L.) Frietema,in Cult. Pl. & Wild Fl.: 148. 1996.

Annual or biennial herb, 30-150+ (-250) cm tall. Stem solitary, pale, erect, simple below, usually branched distally, prickly setose in basal part. Leaves simple, alternate, sessile, rigid, usually held in vertical plane, midrib, sometimes the primary and secondary veins abaxially often prickly setose, otherwise glabrous. Lower and middle stem leaves oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic, oblong, 6-20 cm x 1.5-7 cm, base auriculately clasping, auricle lobes up to 2 cm long and narrowly pointed, margin spinulose, apex rounded to obtuse mucronate. Uppermost stem leaves smaller, otherwise similar to middle stem leaves or linear, linear- lanceolate or lanceolate, margin entire. Synflorescence paniculiform and divaricately much branched with numerous capitula, branches up to 23 cm long, glabrous, capitula on slender bracteate stalks up to 4 cm long. Capitula ligulate, 1.2-1.6 cm long with 15-25 florets. Involucre narrowly cylindric and 8-10 mm long at anthesis, increasing to 13 mm x 3.5 mm and becoming conical in fruiting capitula. Phyllaries ca. 15 in number, few-seriate, green, usually reflexed in fruit, apex acute; outer phyllaries ovate to lanceolate, approaching inner phyllaries in length, 3-7 mm x 1-1.5 mm; inner phyllaries ca. 8 in number, 8-10 mm x 1.5-1.7 mm. All florets ligulate, bisexual, yellow. Corolla 8-8.5 mm long; tube 3 mm long, slender, +/- densely pilose at mouth; limb 5-5.5 mm x 1 mm, yellow, 3-5-toothed, spreading. Anthers ca. 2 mm long. Cypsela body pale brown, narrowly obovoid, ca. 3.5 mm long, compressed with 5-9 ribs on either side (broadly ribbed on margins and ca.5- ribbed on either side, hispidulous towards apices), beak whitish, filiform, 3.5-5 mm long. Pappus ca. 5 mm, several seriate of numerous white barbellate setae, ca. 5 mm long, +/- caducous, simple, silvery white, copious.

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