Lactuca hirsuta Muhlenberg ex Nuttall. Red Wood Lettuce. Phen: Late May-Nov. Hab: Dry, sandy or rocky woodlands, forest edges. Dist: NS and ON south to s. GA and e. TX.

ID notes:Lactuca hirsuta has a more open inflorescence, with long secondary branches that are widely spreading (almost perpendicular) from the stem, with fewer, spatially widely scattered flowers pointed in many directions (in contract to Lactuca canadensis and other Lactuca that tend to have all branches ascending, with flowers closer together and often facing upward/skyward.

Origin/Endemic status: Native

Taxonomy Comments: Ballou et al. (2023) re-recognize the "sanguinea" entity (based apparently on work only in New England) and at species rank, as Lactuca sanguinea; this proposal needs additional evaluation.

Synonymy: = Ar, C, FNA19, K3, K4, Mi, NE, NY, Oh3, Pa, RAB, S, SE1, Tn, Va, W, WV; = n/a – Tat; > Lactuca hirsuta Muhl. ex Nutt. – Ballou et al (2023); > Lactuca hirsuta Muhl. ex Nutt. var. hirsuta – F, G, K1; > Lactuca hirsuta Muhl. ex Nutt. var. sanguinea (Bigelow) Fernald – F, G, Il, K1; > Lactuca sanguinea Bigelow – Ballou et al (2023)

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Heliophily: 6