Can anyone ID this plant?

Greg Coffey wrote:Looks like you've come across Prickly Lettuce:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactuca_serriola

When trying to id a plant up here in New England, this is my first stop:
https://gobotany.newenglandwild.org/
It's put out by the New England Wildflower Society, and is pretty darn comprehensive. I've run into some dead ends, though, when it's not the right season to see certain features, like buds or blooms.

When that happens, searching "[similar looking plant] look-a-likes" can usually bring up an image of the mystery species, and the detective work can commence from there.

Hope this helps!

Thekla McDaniels wrote:I have prickly lettuce at my place. The goats love it. It is nutritious, though bitter. I put a leaf or two in a green smoothie or salad. The prickles are for real. If when weeding I get a grip on one of the stems, a prickle can break off in my skin, and when that happens it is a several month process for the skin to clear the prickle.

Now a days this rarely happens, because it's a painful thing to live iwth in the pad of my thumb or finger for that long. Currently I have a couple in my knee. Sonce they do not make gloves for knees, and the prickles get through the heavy denim jeans with reinforced knees, I guess the solution is to get in the habit of kneeling only on a pad.

Thanks in advance to any who want to suggest knee pads. I don't find it possible to wear those all day long for the moment when I kneel to pull an out of place plant.

edith zahn wrote:I'm sorry, I don't know how to put a comment in a white quote box so that I can ask a question about it, so I just copy and pasted the comment:

"Thekla McDaniels wrote:
I have prickly lettuce at my place. The goats love it. It is nutritious, though bitter. I put a leaf or two in a green smoothie or salad. The prickles are for real. If when weeding I get a grip on one of the stems, a prickle can break off in my skin, and when that happens it is a several month process for the skin to clear the prickle.

Now a days this rarely happens, because it's a painful thing to live iwth in the pad of my thumb or finger for that long. Currently I have a couple in my knee. Sonce they do not make gloves for knees, and the prickles get through the heavy denim jeans with reinforced knees, I guess the solution is to get in the habit of kneeling only on a pad.

Thanks in advance to any who want to suggest knee pads. I don't find it possible to wear those all day long for the moment when I kneel to pull an out of place plant."[/color]

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My reply/question is: I have that plant growing at my house and never knew the name of it, only that it was edible, so I was excited to see the name of it ("prickly lettuce"), but I'm confused - mine look EXACTLY like the pictures but the prickles aren't sharp - don't hurt at all. Could the prickles be nothing but show in one climate and stabbing in another, or are we talking about two different plants (??)

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It looks to me like dandelion if it isn't lettuce.
I have bought dandelion in supermarkets sometimes that looks like that.
there are different types of dandelion with different looking leaves.

Thekla McDaniels wrote:Since they do not make gloves for knees, and the prickles get through the heavy denim jeans with reinforced knees, I guess the solution is to get in the habit of kneeling only on a pad.  

Thanks in advance to any who want to suggest knee pads.  I don't find it possible to wear those all day long for the moment when I kneel to pull an out of place plant.

edith zahn wrote:I'm sorry, I don't know how to put a comment in a white quote box so that I can ask a question about it, so I just copy and pasted the comment: