A leaf vegetable, Lactuca sativa, cultivated by the ancient Egyptians as early as 2680 BC, though the earliest domesticated form was grown chiefly for its oil-rich seeds rather than its leaves, a use that shifted over centuries of selective breeding toward the leafy varieties grown today. Lettuce spread from Egypt to Greece and Rome in antiquity and later across Europe, developing into distinct types such as crisphead (iceberg), butterhead, romaine and loose-leaf lettuce. It is now grown as a major vegetable crop worldwide, with China and the United States among the largest producers, typically as a fast-maturing, cool-season annual.
Facts
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Era Of Origin
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Source Lettuce, WikipediaLeadQuote, Lead
Lettuce was originally farmed by the ancient Egyptians
Found In
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Source Lettuce, Wikipedia
Sources
1. Lettuce (Wikipedia)
- lead: an annual plant, generally grown as a hardy annual
- lead: mostly grown as a leaf vegetable
- lead: leaves most often used raw in green salads
View the Source2. Lettuce, Wikipedia
Taxonomy and etymology
Lactuca sativa is a member of the Lactuca (lettuce) genus and the Asteraceae
History
DNA analysis of 445 types of lettuce indicates that lettuce was first domesticated from its wild ancestor near the Caucasus
lead description or Wikipedia lead (crop-class)
A leaf vegetable, Lactuca sativa, cultivated by the ancient Egyptians as early as 2680 BC, though the earliest domesticated form was grown chiefly for its oil-rich seeds rather than its leaves, a use that shifted over centuries of selective breeding toward the leafy varieties grown today.
lead description or Wikipedia lead (life-cycle)
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae mostly grown as a leaf vegetable.
lead description or Wikipedia lead (primary-uses)
Lettuce was originally farmed by the ancient Egyptians, who transformed it from a plant whose seeds were used to obtain oil into an important food crop raised for its succulent leaves and oil-rich seeds.
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