Lactuca indica
speciesAt a glance
Sources12 archives
Databases and archives Lactuca indica's data was compiled from.
WikipediaWikimedia Foundation7 languages↗
BioWikiNetmultilingual Wikipediamultilingual↗
GBIFGlobal Biodiversity Information Facility4 807 records↗
ENAEuropean Nucleotide Archive · EMBL-EBI11 eDNA detections↗
BOLD SystemsCentre for Biodiversity Genomics11 specimens↗
LOTUSNatural Products (Wikidata)compounds↗
NPASSNat. Product Activity & Species Sourcecompounds↗
GRIN TaxonomyUSDA-ARSdistribution & uses↗
Open Tree of LifeOpenTreephylogeny backbone↗
CCDBChromosome Counts DB · Tel Aviv U.genome & karyotype↗
GoaTGenomes on a Tree · Sangergenome & karyotype↗
PloiDBPloidy Databasegenome & karyotypeEvery layer below draws on the sources above — open one to explore it, or use ← → to move between tabs.
Lactuca indica, the Indian lettuce, is a species of plant in the tribe Cichorieae within the family Asteraceae. It is native to western China (Xinjiang, Tibet), the Himalayas, and southwest Asia as far west as Turkey. It is widely introduced elsewhere, even as far as east Africa, and is thought to be an archaeophyte in Japan, brought in with rice cultivation. Lactuca indica is a biennial herb, growing from a taproot to at least 40cm tall and often reaching 2m. Its flowers have white to pale yellow ray florets with yellower centers. The narrowness of the leaf blades and the degree of spikiness of leaf lobes varies greatly by region. Lower leaves senescing during flowering, a trait typical to this species It is cultivated (or rather, its growth is encouraged) as fodder for rabbits, pigs, poultry and even fish in Asia. Its young leaves can be, and are, consumed as a leaf vegetable in salads like other dandelions. It is used in traditional medicines as an aid to digestion.
No narrative description available for this taxon yet.
Size & morphology18
Life cycle & reproduction8
Diet & foraging1
Habitat & environment10
Physiology & chemistry3
Other traits1
Compounds documented for Lactuca indica across natural-product and food-composition databases — not just the ~150 nutrients on a classic label ("nutritional dark matter").
Compound class profile5 classes
Documented compounds80 total
| Compound | Class | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| (1R,3S,4S,5R)-3-[(E)-4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-oxobut-3-enyl]-1,4,5-trihydroxycyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid | present | LOTUS | |
| (1R,3S,4S,5R)-3-[4-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-oxobut-3-enyl]-1,4,5-trihydroxycyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid | present | LOTUS | |
| (1R,3S,4S,5S)-3-((E)-3-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)Acryloyloxy)-1,4,5-Trihydroxycyclohexanecarboxylic Acid | present | NPASS | |
| (1R,5S,5'S,6S,9R)-5'-(furan-3-yl)-4-methylidenespiro[10-oxatricyclo[7.2.1.01,6]dodecane-5,3'-oxolane]-2',11-dione | present | NPASS | |
| (2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-2-[[(1S,3R,3aS,4S,6S,6aS)-3-hydroxy-1,4-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,3a,4,6,6a-hexahydrofuro[3,4-c]furan-6-yl]oxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | present | LOTUS | |
| (2S,3R,4S,5S,6R)-2-[[(1S,3R,3aS,4S,6S,6aS)-3-hydroxy-1,4-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,3,3a,4,6,6a-hexahydrofuro[3,4-c]furan-6-yl]oxy]-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol | present | LOTUS | |
| (2S,3S,4S,5R,6R)-6-[2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5-hydroxy-4-oxochromen-7-yl]oxy-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxane-2-carboxylic acid | present | LOTUS | |
| (2S,3S,4S,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-[5-hydroxy-2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4-oxochromen-7-yl]oxyoxane-2-carboxylic acid | present | LOTUS | |
| (3aS,5R,6aR,8S,9aR,9bS)-5,8-dihydroxy-3,6,9-trimethylidene-3a,4,5,6a,7,8,9a,9b-octahydroazuleno[4,5-b]furan-2-one | present | LOTUS | |
| (3aS,5R,6aR,8S,9aR,9bS)-5-hydroxy-3,6,9-trimethylidene-8-[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxy-3a,4,5,6a,7,8,9a,9b-octahydroazuleno[4,5-b]furan-2-one | present | LOTUS |
A DNA barcode is a short, standardised stretch of genes that works like a fingerprint — enough to tell one species from another. Below is the molecular trace Lactuca indica has left across the world's sequence archives.
At a glance
★ the standard DNA barcode for this group — the short region actually read to tell this species apart. The rest are extra genes sequenced along the way.
The complete instruction manual Lactuca indica carries — its genome. We read it from three angles — how big it is, how the DNA is packed into chromosomes, and how completely it has been sequenced — and explain how to read each value as you go.
Genome sizehow big the whole instruction manual is
Measured in base pairs (bp) — the individual letters of DNA (human ≈ 3.2 Gb, a bacterium a few million). The chart places this genome on a logarithmic scale — each step to the right is ten times bigger — among reference organisms. Across species a bigger genome loosely tracks with larger cells, slower growth and lower-energy lifestyles (powered flight favours small genomes) — yet it does not imply more genes or a more advanced organism (the long-standing C-value paradox).
Chromosomes & ploidyhow the DNA is packaged
2n is the full chromosome count in a normal body cell; n is a gamete (egg or sperm), which carries half. Ploidy is how many complete chromosome sets each cell holds — 2× (diploid) is typical for animals, while higher levels (polyploidy) are common in plants. Click any value below to see the underlying records and sources.
2n 1822×CCDB · iapt · CCDB · ipcn-api-dl · CCDB · book-ipcn73-74 +4
n 93×CCDB · book-ipcn67-71 · CCDB · Cave1956supp
diploid inferred1×PloiDB · genus-scale
Sequencing statusassembly quality — how far to trust these numbers
Assembly level tells you how finished the sequence is — from fragmented contigs, through scaffolds, up to a full chromosome-level assembly. BUSCO % estimates completeness: the share of genes expected to be present that were actually found. These describe the data quality, not the organism.
How far back this lineage goes — and how we know. Everything here is measured in Ma, short for “mega-annum”: millions of years ago. The chart reads left to right like a calendar of the Earth, from the deep past on the left to today at the right edgetop to bottom like a core drilled through the Earth, from the deep past at the top down to today at the bottom.
At a glance
When this lineage existed
How to read this: the coloured strip along the bottomdown the left is the geological calendar — the standard epochs (Pliocene, Pleistocene…) every museum uses, shown so you can see which chapter of Earth's history this lineage lived in. This lineage is a young one, so the strip is zoomed in to epochs — the finer subdivisions inside a period. The orange marker is the DNA clock: DNA accumulates mutations at a roughly steady rate, so comparing this species' DNA with its relatives estimates when the lineage split off — independently of any fossil.
Record type4 807 records
Origin
Range
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Museum / Voucheredphysical evidence
Backed by a physical specimen — a herbarium sheet, sample or voucher held in a collection. “Vouchered” means supported by material evidence, not just an observation.
Cultivated / Captivenot free-living
A living individual in a botanical garden, zoo or nursery — cultivated or kept, not free-living.
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Holding institutions57 of 121 geolocated
Institutions and collections holding physical, vouchered specimens of this species — click a row to fly to it on the map.
| Institution | Specimens |
|---|---|
| Odawara, JP | 153 |
| Institute of Applied Ecology, Academia Sinicalocation not on record | 114 |
| Taipei, TW | 76 |
| Chiba, JP | 66 |
| Kochi, JP | 62 |
| Yangling, CN | 56 |
| Beijing, CN | 56 |
| Bando, JP | 53 |
| Shinshu Universitylocation not on record | 52 |
| Nagano City, JP | 50 |
| Toyama, JP | 49 |
| Fukushima Universitylocation not on record | 48 |
| Kagoshima, JP | 43 |
| Tokushima, JP | 41 |
| Tsukuba, JP | 39 |
| Hiratsuka City Museumlocation not on record | 32 |
| Moscow State Universitylocation not on record | 30 |
| KR | 30 |
| Tomioka, JP | 29 |
| NSMKlocation not on record | 29 |
| Nagatoro-machi, Chichibu-gun, JP | 27 |
| KURAlocation not on record | 27 |
| Wuhan, CN | 27 |
| Nishihara, JP | 25 |
| JP | 19 |
| Ishikawa Museum of Natural Historylocation not on record | 19 |
| Central China Normal Universitylocation not on record | 19 |
| Nanjing, CN | 19 |
| ENTClocation not on record | 16 |
| Durban, ZA | 15 |
| Zhengzhou, CN | 14 |
| National Institute of Biological Resourceslocation not on record | 14 |
| Osaka, JP | 13 |
| Akita Prefectural Museumlocation not on record | 13 |
| Pretoria, ZA | 12 |
| DMZ botanic gardenlocation not on record | 12 |
| QAUlocation not on record | 11 |
| Wuhan, CN | 11 |
| Iwate Prefectural Museumlocation not on record | 11 |
| Otaru, JP | 11 |
| Guangzhou, CN | 10 |
| Nanjing, CN | 10 |
| Taipei, TW | 10 |
| Institute for Agricultural Bacteriology and Fermentation Biologylocation not on record | 10 |
| KIWElocation not on record | 10 |
| Servico de Microbiologia e Imunologialocation not on record | 9 |
| Nishihara, JP | 9 |
| Guilin, CN | 9 |
| Kyoto Universitylocation not on record | 8 |
| Herbarium of the Department of Botany, University of Tokyolocation not on record | 8 |
| Korea National Arboretumlocation not on record | 8 |
| KOMlocation not on record | 8 |
| Forest Survey and Design Institute, Forestry Administrative Bureau of Daxinganlinglocation not on record | 7 |
| Hangzhou, CN | 7 |
| Taipei, TW | 7 |
| Sugadaira Research Station, Mountain Science Center, University of Tsukubalocation not on record | 7 |
| Sagamihara, JP | 6 |
| Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Scienceslocation not on record | 6 |
| Sendai, JP | 6 |
| Northeastern Forestry Universitylocation not on record | 5 |
| Zhejiang Universitylocation not on record | 4 |
| J.F.Oberlin Universitylocation not on record | 4 |
| Tianjin Natural History Museumlocation not on record | 4 |
| Awka, NG | 4 |
| Xining, CN | 4 |
| UNESClocation not on record | 3 |
| Lanzhou, CN | 3 |
| Peking Universitylocation not on record | 3 |
| WNNUlocation not on record | 3 |
| Berlin, DE | 3 |
| Kushiro City Museumlocation not on record | 3 |
| Paris, FR | 3 |
| KIRMlocation not on record | 3 |
| Kew, GB | 3 |
| Sanda, JP | 3 |
| CASlocation not on record | 3 |
| Elocation not on record | 3 |
| UNICAMPlocation not on record | 3 |
| Guiyang, CN | 2 |
| Shanghai, CN | 2 |
| SIHUlocation not on record | 2 |
| Saint Louis, US | 2 |
| Cambridge, US | 2 |
| Beijing Normal Universitylocation not on record | 2 |
| NLD037location not on record | 2 |
| Stockholm, SE | 2 |
| Obihiro Centennial City Museumlocation not on record | 2 |
| Kunming, CN | 1 |
| WAGlocation not on record | 1 |
| Christchurch, NZ | 1 |
| Porto Alegre, BR | 1 |
| CJBGlocation not on record | 1 |
| Criciúma, BR | 1 |
| National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korealocation not on record | 1 |
| University of Stellenboschlocation not on record | 1 |
| UERJlocation not on record | 1 |
| Centro de Estudios y Colecciones Biológicas para la Conservaciónlocation not on record | 1 |
| Parthenon Tama History Museumlocation not on record | 1 |
| “Manash Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University" NPLClocation not on record | 1 |
| Museum Of Natural And Environmental History, Shizuokalocation not on record | 1 |
| SJNAlocation not on record | 1 |
| LDlocation not on record | 1 |
| Xiamen, CN | 1 |
| Brisbane, AU | 1 |
| Mie Prefectural Museumlocation not on record | 1 |
| IPA/SPlocation not on record | 1 |
| Guiyang, CN | 1 |
| Cape Town, ZA | 1 |
| UFSCarlocation not on record | 1 |
| Honolulu, US | 1 |
| UNESP-IBILCElocation not on record | 1 |
| Xian, CN | 1 |
| Nagasaki University - Fisherieslocation not on record | 1 |
| nlocation not on record | 1 |
| Yunnan Universitylocation not on record | 1 |
| Beijing Natural History Museumlocation not on record | 1 |
| IWEP FEB RASlocation not on record | 1 |
| Pelotas, BR | 1 |
| Oiso Municipal Museumlocation not on record | 1 |
| Glocation not on record | 1 |
| Omachi Alpine Museumlocation not on record | 1 |
Cultivated / Captivenot free-living
A living individual in a botanical garden, zoo or nursery — cultivated or kept, not free-living.
Where the DNA of Lactuca indica was picked up in samples of water, soil or air — nobody saw the organism, only its DNA left behind. A trace is a clue that the species was near, not a confirmed sighting.
Signal
Where its DNA was found
How strong is each trace?
Modelled climatemodelled
How to read this: each dot is one detection of this species' DNA in an environmental sample. The confidence meter weighs how many independent studies and places back up the signal — one detection in one study is a hint; many across several studies is solid. Records dated before 2008 (when eDNA methods began) are treated as likely mislabeled and left off the map.