I have been waiting a week to see the flower buds bloom on my Prickly Lettuce (Lactuca serriola), but today I realized that like other plants, the flowers only open at certain times of day. And getting to see them was important for identification. The plant recognition apps were claiming that this plant was all sorts of things it didn’t really look like based on the leaf alone. I finally went to a website that asks a series of questions to narrow down the possibility.
Like the Daisy-mimickers, the Asteraceae family has a bunch of Dandelion-mimickers. Although it’s hard to convey size in these pictures, the leaves are about as long and wide as my forearm and the whole plant is at least 5 feet tall. But the overall look of the leaves is dandelion-like. I was surprised to see how little the flowers looked like dandelions up close. Despite its appearance, it is most closely related to cultivated lettuce, Lactuca sativa.
The young shoots and leaves are edible raw or cooked, but they get more bitter as they grow larger. And eating too much can cause digestive complaints.
Like dandelions, L. serriola contains a milky sap. This sap, or lactucarium, was studied extensively in the 19th century in Poland. The goal was to determine which chemical within the sap was responsible for the sedative and analgesic effects it produced. The dried sap produces pain relief similar to a weak opium, without any of the gastrointestinal symptoms or addiction. In practice, the lactucarium could produce more curative effects than opium. The exact phytochemical was never found, so the whole milky sap continued to be utilized instead of being made into a patent medicine.
In 2013, a study was released in the Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Journal called “Pharmacological Effects of Lactuca serriola L. in Experimental Model of Gastrointestinal, Respiratory, and Vascular Ailments” (PMC3638630). This study used a methanol extract on isolated rabbit tissue preparations, but found that it showed spasmogenic, spasmolytic, bronchodilation, and vasorelaxant actions. L. serriola has some cholinergic compounds that increase spasms, but also has calcium channel blocking components that cause relaxation of the gut, respiratory tree, and blood vessels. Its effects were found to be comparable to dicyclomine (Bentyl) a drug used in irritable bowel syndrome.
Traditionally, the sap has been used for its anodyne, antispasmodic, digestive, diuretic, hypnotic, narcotic and sedative properties. Other sources state that it also lowers blood sugar levels and is a galactagogue by stimulating milk flow. The highest medicinal benefit comes from the older plants, and L. serriola doesn’t contain as much as L. virosa. The plant can also be consumed as an infusion, or tea.
Some of the conditions for which the lactucarium is beneficial are insomnia, anxiety, neuroses, hyperactivity, whooping cough, rheumatic pain and more. Because of its sedative effects, taking this compound should be used very cautiously and not during activities where sleepiness is contraindicated such as driving or operating heavy machinery. Also, overdose is still a possibility and can result in restlessness and eventually death by cardiac paralysis. As with any plant, if you start to experience an unexpected side effect, stop taking it. Continued dosing typically leads to progressively greater consequences.
Jen Williamson, ND is a native of Buffalo, New York who earned her Bachelor of Science at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania and a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, Arizona. While in medical school, she became very involved in the student community, most notably as the President of the Student Government Association. For her service, upon graduation she was given the Outstanding Leadership Award.
In the spirit of Docere, the Naturopathic principle of the doctor’s role as teacher, Dr. Williamson was an adjunct professor in the Complementary and Alternative Therapies program at Daemen College. She has had articles in a variety of publications, including Naturopathic Doctor News and Review, SheKnows.com, local Buffalo magazines and papers, as well as her own newsletter, blog and website. While practicing in Buffalo, she also offered over 30 different classes to the public at various events and locations.
In 2012, Dr. Williamson moved to Vermont to expand her practice of Naturopathic Medicine as well as provide an atmosphere that resonates with her medicine for her son, Victor, and husband, David. As a Primary Care Physician at Avalon Natural Medicine, Dr. Williamson focuses on mental/emotional, gastrointestinal, and endocrine disorders. Most of her treatment plans include a combination of nutritional, herbal and homeopathic remedies, but she has also received additional training in Hair Trace Mineral Analysis and Bowel Nosodes.
