Randy Mann

Oh, goodness!  I didn't mean to imply I felt sure it isn't a lactuca.  It's just that I spent hours and hours looking at photographs of every lactuca I could find on-line or in books -- and none of 'em looked anything like it.  No, I'm not sure at all -- and, yes, the other characteristics are persuasive.  I dunno!  It's a mystery -- and it's a mystery I'd like (I suppose we'd both like) to solve.

Yes, Angelica, there are many d'lion look-a-likes in Oz + dandelions.  The seeds and some other features of our mystery plant are radically unlike d'lion though.

In any case, I'll keep looking and will, of course, post anything useful or definitive I find.

Best regards from the Atherton Tablelands,

Randy

Hello, and thank you for the page/information.

Having just spent a couple of hours researching, I still don't know what the botanical name is, but I feel pretty confident it isn't a lactuca.  It also isn't pisonia, which is also sometimes called tree lettuce.  I'd like to find out the Latin nomenclature for this plant but haven't had much success so far.

The fleshy or 'stem-y' parts of the leaves are quite yummy -- but, then, I don't dislike the flavour of the leaves anyway.

Best regards,

Randy