Prickly Lettuce

Prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola) can reach seven feet tall, making it easy to spot on the sides of railroads and trails in Sausal Creek. It was once native to the Mediterranean region before seed contamination brought it to America. Its stems release a white, milky sap when damaged, but the leaves are edibles with a somewhat bitter taste. Its lower leaves often twist north and south to face the path of the sun, hence its common nickname, the "compass plant."

Unlike its more common culinary descendent, prickly lettuce has a wider range of tolerance for temperature, soil quality and pathogens. Its genetic diversity allows it to thrive where common lettuce cannot; in fact, hybridizing prickly lettuce and common lettuce can increase crop hardiness.