Lactuca indica L., Mant. 2: 278. 1771. Lactuca brevirostris Champ. ex Benth. in Hook., Kew J. 4: 237. 1852; Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 3: 405. 1881.

Herbs, annual; stems 70 - 150 cm tall, erect, glabrous, paniculately branched above. Leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, acuminate, quite entire or rarely toothed, simple or shortly auricled at base, 9 - 20 x 0.5-1.0 cm. Inflorescence a terminal panicle. Heads cylindric, 1.4 - 1.5 x 0.5 - 0.7 cm, erect, 10 - 15 flowered; peduncle slender. Outer involucral bracts oblong-ovate, 3 - 6 x 1.5 - 2.0 mm, few, glabrous; inner linear-oblong, 13 - 14.5 x 2 - 3 mm, finely glabrous. Ligules pale yellow, dirty white or purplish. Achenes blackish, ellipsoid, 5 - 5.5 m.m long including the small, white capillary beak, much compressed, slightly thick towards margins. Pappus white or yellowish, 6.5 - 7.5 mm long, slightly longer than achenes.

Fl. & Fr. Feb. - June

Distrib. India: On open wastelands, jhum fallows and marshes. 200-1200 m. Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Indonesia.

Notes. This species is treated under a new genus as Pterocypsela (L.) Shih (cf. Shih Chu 1988).