Prickly Lettuce
Parts Usually Used
Leaves, sap
Description of Plant(s) and Culture
Annual or biennial; 2-7 feet tall. Leaves oblong to lance-shaped or dandelion-like but prickly; margins with weak spines. Flowers yellow, dandelion-like. July to October.
Where Found
Waste places in the United States. Originally from Europe.
Medicinal Properties
Hypnotic, sedative, lowers blood sugar levels
Uses
Native Americans traditionally brewed the leaves into a tea to promote milk flow, as well as to serve as a diuretic. Historical herbalists also administered it to address sleeplessness and believed it lowered blood sugar levels. Nicholas Culpeper noted that he was unaware of any practical use for the root.
Warning
Do not drive or operate machinery, may cause drowsiness. Excessive doses may cause insomnia or increased sexual drive. May cause dermatitis or internal poisoning.
Bibliography
The Herb Book , by John Lust, Bantam Books, 666 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY. copyright 1974. , 180 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014, first printed by the United States Government Printing Office, Washington, in 1928, this Dover edition 1974 Culpeper’s Complete Herbal & English Physician: Updated With 117 Modern Herbs , by Nicholas Culpeper, Meyerbooks, publisher, PO Box 427, Glenwood, Illinois 60425, 1990, (reprint of 1814) The Complete Medicinal Herbal , by Penelope Ody, Dorling Kindersley, Inc, 232 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, First American Edition, copyright 1993 Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants , by Steven Foster and James A.
, 15 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10023