Where did lettuces grow in the wild before cultivation. Presumably
there weren't icebergs and little gems growing wild, but I'm sure you
know what I mean... thanks.

Hi rai130,

Well, actually, there were little gems growing in the wild - lettuce
opium! This has been interesting - who would've thought doing research
on lettuce would lead to links on opium...

"Cultivated lettuce is closely related to the wild lettuce, L.
scariola, from which it was doubtless derived. Wild lettuce is now
widely scattered over the globe, but it originated in inner Asia
Minor, the trans-Caucasus, Iran, and Turkistan.
According to Herodotus, lettuce was served on the tables of the
Persian kings of the 6th century B.C. In the 5th and 4th centuries
B.C., other great Greek writers described and praised its virtues."
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/publications/vegetabletravelers/lettuce.html

"lettuce, annual garden plant (Lactuca sativa and varieties) of the
family Asteraceae (aster family), probably native to the East Indies
or Asia Minor, possibly as a derivative of the widespread weed called
wild lettuce (L. scariola)."
http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/L/lettuce.html

Lettuce, Wild:
Botanical: Lactuca virosa (LINN.) 
Synonyms---Lactucarium. Strong-scented Lettuce. Green Endive. Lettuce
Opium. Laitue vireuse. Acrid Lettuce.
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/l/lettuc17.html

"Lactucarium, or lettuce-opium, so-called, is obtained from the plants
"by cutting the stem of the lettuce at the time of flowering, imbibing
the milky juice that flows out by a sponge or by cotton, and squeezing
it out into a vessel containing a little water. It is then left in a
dry place until it concretes into a solid mass" (Thompson's Org.
Chem.). The juice, in drying, loses about half its weight of water. By
making another cut a short distance below the first, and so proceeding
several times daily, the whole of the juice contained in the plant may
be collected. There are several other modes recommended for procuring
the lactucarium, but no one of them obtains an article equal to that
collected by the above plan. After the middle period of inflorescence,
the juice, becomes thicker, but deteriorates in its medicinal
principles. A single plant of L. sativa is said to yield 17 grains of
lactucarium, while a plant of L. virosa gives 56 grains. L. Scariola,
or prickly lettuce, yields 25 grains. As found in commerce,
lactucarium is in roundish, compact, rather hard masses, weighing
several ounces, of a reddish-brown color externally, of a bitter,
narcotic, and somewhat acid taste, and an odor approximating that of
opium. It is asserted that two species?L. Scariola, Linné, and L.
altissima, Bieberstein?furnish a superior article of lettuce-opium."
http://www.ibiblio.org/herbmed/eclectic/kings/lactuca.html

So, that should give us all something to think about the next time we
sit down to a nice bowl of salad! Thank you for posting this
interesting topic. If you have any questions, please post a
clarification request before closing/rating my answer and I'll be
happy to reply.

Thank you,
hummer

Google Search Terms Used:

"wild lettuce" L. scariola opium
"wild lettuce" L. scariola
"wild lettuce" 
lettuce history
"history of lettuce"

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Request for Answer Clarification by rai130-ga on 13 Aug 2004 07:00 PDT

Do you know where abouts one would come across a lettuce in the
wild... in hedgerows, forests, cliffs... where? Thanks.

---

Request for Answer Clarification by rai130-ga on 13 Aug 2004 07:03 PDT

I'm really sorry... that was meant to be a 5 star rating but f***ed
up... was a little careless. I hope this doesn't effect your average
too adversly...

---

Clarification of Answer by hummer-ga on 13 Aug 2004 07:42 PDT

Dear rai130,

Thank you for the virtual five stars - don't worry too much about the
two stars - as long as you were happy with the answer, that's all that
matters.

You should be able to find some wild lettuce in fields, along
fencerows, in gardens, clearings in the forest, thickets or along
roadsides. Following are some links with some photos. For more links
which are more specific to your location, do a Google search using the
terms "wild lettuce" habitat and add your state or province.

Wild Lettuce  (Lactuca canadensis):   
Habitat: Clearings, thickets, and edges of woods. Most of the area.
http://indianspringherbs.com/wild_lettuce.htm

Wild Lettuce - Lactuca canadensis:
Habitat: roadsides, thickets
http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/lactucacana.html

Wild Lettuce (Lactuca canadensis L.):
Habitat: Wild Lettuce is widely distributed in a variety of habitats
including roadsides, clearings in the forest, and thickets."

Lettuce, Wild
Botanical: Lactuca virosa (LINN.):
" ---Habitat---The Wild Lettuce grows on banks and waste places,
flowering in July and August. It is cultivated in Austria, France,
Germany and Scotland. Collectors cut the heads of the plants and
scrape the juice into china vessels several times daily until it is
exhausted. By slightly warming and tapping, it is turned out of its
cup mould, is cut into quarters and dried.
In the United States, after importation from Germany via England it is
said to be used as an adulterant for opium. It is usually found in
irregular, reddish-brown lumps the size of a large pea, frequently
mouldy on the outside. In the United States the German and French
lactucarium is considered inferior to the British product."
http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/l/lettuc17.html

Wild Lettuce - Lactuca virosa:
Common throughout Europe, wild lettuce grows in open areas and along
roadsides. Wild lettuce is gathered when in flower in late summer.
http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_wild_lettuce.htm

Western Wild Lettuce:
Found in open prairies, often in disturbed areas.   Prefers calcareous soils.
http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/westernlettuce.html

Thanks again - good luck with your lettuce hunt,
hummer

Sweet...