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Lettuce

19 kinds of lettuce described and visualized

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is a widely cultivated leafy annual plant prized for its edible leaves, forming a cornerstone of salads and fresh vegetable dishes worldwide. This taxonomy encompasses the diverse cultivated types, including popular varieties like Iceberg, Romaine, and Butterhead, as well as their wild relatives, organizing them for horticultural, culinary, and scientific understanding.

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Collage of 12 kinds of Lettuce - including lollo rosso, romaine lettuce, and iceberg lettuce
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Kinds of Lettuce

Origin Story

Lettuce traces its origins to the Mediterranean region, where it was first domesticated thousands of years ago from wild relatives such as Lactuca virosa. Early cultivation focused on selecting plants with tender, palatable leaves, gradually giving rise to the many horticultural varieties known today. Over centuries, lettuce spread globally, adapting to diverse climates and culinary traditions, evolving through selective breeding into distinct market types favored across cultures.

Classification

Lettuce belongs to the family Asteraceae, within the genus Lactuca, and is scientifically classified as Lactuca sativa. This species is subdivided into horticultural types or varieties such as Iceberg (crisphead), Romaine (cos), Butterhead, Leaf lettuce, and Stem lettuce (celtuce). These types represent both botanical varieties and market categories, bridging scientific taxonomy with consumer recognition. Adjacent wild species and non-Lactuca salad greens remain distinct but related in culinary contexts.

Appearance or Form

Lettuce plants typically feature a rosette of leaves that vary widely in shape, texture, and color depending on the variety. Iceberg lettuce forms dense, crisp, pale-green heads, while Romaine displays elongated, sturdy leaves with a prominent midrib. Butterhead types have soft, loosely packed leaves with a tender texture, and Leaf lettuce offers a loose cluster of frilled or flat leaves in shades from green to red. Stem lettuce, or celtuce, is notable for its edible thick stem rather than its leaves.

Behavior or Usage

Lettuce is primarily cultivated for its fresh leaves, which are consumed raw in salads, sandwiches, and garnishes, prized for their crispness and mild flavor. Some varieties, like stem lettuce, are also cooked or pickled. Beyond culinary uses, lettuce serves as a model plant in horticultural research and breeding programs aimed at improving yield, disease resistance, and nutritional value. It thrives in temperate climates and is harvested multiple times per season in commercial agriculture.

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Lollo Rosso

Lollo Rosso

Lollo Rosso is a distinctive red-leaf variety of lettuce known for its deeply frilled, curly leaves and vibrant burgundy color, prized for both its decorative appeal and mild, slightly nutty flavor.

Romaine Lettuce

Romaine Lettuce

Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. longifolia) is a leafy vegetable known for its tall, elongated heads and crisp, sturdy leaves, widely prized in global cuisine for its texture and flavor.

Iceberg lettuce

Iceberg lettuce

Iceberg lettuce is a crisphead variety of Lactuca sativa known for its tightly packed, round heads and pale green, crunchy leaves, making it one of the most widely grown and consumed lettuces worldwide.

Bibb lettuce

Bibb lettuce

Bibb lettuce is a tender, buttery-textured variety of Butterhead lettuce known for its small, loose heads and mild, sweet flavor, prized as a premium salad green.

Stem Lettuce

Stem Lettuce

Stem lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. angustana), also known as celtuce or asparagus lettuce, is a unique variety of lettuce cultivated primarily for its thick, edible stem rather than its leaves.

Butterhead lettuce

Butterhead lettuce

Butterhead lettuce is a cultivated variety of Lactuca sativa known for its soft, tender leaves and loosely formed, rounded heads, prized for its mild flavor and delicate texture in fresh salads and sandwiches.

Leaf Lettuce

Leaf Lettuce

Leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa) is a widely cultivated variety of lettuce characterized by its loose, non-heading rosette of tender leaves that vary in color from pale green to deep red or bronze.

Grand Rapids Lettuce

Grand Rapids Lettuce

Grand Rapids Lettuce is a classic loose-leaf cultivar of Lactuca sativa prized for its crisp texture, vigorous growth, and adaptability to cool climates.

Batavia lettuce

Batavia lettuce

Batavia lettuce is a crisp, semi-compact variety of Lactuca sativa known for its leaf form that bridges traditional leaf and iceberg lettuces, prized for its texture and heat tolerance.

Summercrisp lettuce

Summercrisp lettuce

Summercrisp lettuce is a distinctive type of Lactuca sativa known for its crisp texture, intermediate leaf-head form, and remarkable tolerance to heat, making it ideal for summer cultivation.

Wild Lettuce

Wild Lettuce

Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) is a robust, bitter wild species closely related to cultivated lettuce, known for its milky latex and historical use in herbal medicine.

Salinas lettuce

Salinas lettuce

Salinas lettuce is a crisphead iceberg-type lettuce cultivar prized for its uniform spherical heads and strong disease resistance, widely cultivated in California's Salinas Valley and dominant in the U.S. fresh market.

Little Gem Lettuce

Little Gem Lettuce

Little Gem Lettuce is a miniature Romaine (Cos) cultivar of Lactuca sativa, prized for its compact size, crisp texture, and sweet, nutty flavor.

Crisphead lettuce

Crisphead lettuce

Crisphead lettuce is a group of head-forming lettuces known for their tightly packed, crisp leaves and mild flavor, including popular varieties like Iceberg and Batavia.

Green Leaf Lettuce

Green Leaf Lettuce

Green Leaf Lettuce is a loose-leaf variety of Lactuca sativa known for its bright green, ruffled leaves and tender texture, widely enjoyed fresh in salads and garnishes.

Lollo Bionda Lettuce

Lollo Bionda Lettuce

Lollo Bionda Lettuce is a vibrant leaf lettuce cultivar known for its frilly, deeply incised bright green leaves, prized for adding crisp texture and decorative appeal to fresh salads.

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Cultural Significance

Throughout history, lettuce has held symbolic and practical roles in various cultures. In ancient Egypt and Rome, it was associated with fertility and vitality. Today, lettuce remains a staple in global cuisine, emblematic of freshness and health. Its varieties have inspired culinary traditions worldwide, from the crisp Iceberg favored in American salads to the robust Romaine central to Mediterranean dishes. Lettuce also appears in art and literature as a symbol of simplicity and nourishment.

Notable Facts

  • Lettuce belongs to the daisy family, Asteraceae, sharing lineage with sunflowers and daisies.
  • Iceberg lettuce, despite its name, is not a natural species but a cultivated variety known for its dense, crunchy heads.
  • Stem lettuce, or celtuce, is prized in Asian cuisines for its edible stalk rather than leaves.
  • Selective breeding has produced hundreds of cultivars tailored for taste, texture, and climate resilience.
  • Lettuce leaves are composed mostly of water, making them low in calories but rich in vitamins and fiber.

Kinds of Lettuce

Explore the range of forms, textures, and traditions within this collection.

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Editorial-style image of Lollo Rosso Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Lollo Rosso

Lollo Rosso is a distinctive red-leaf variety of lettuce known for its deeply frilled, curly leaves and vibrant burgundy color, prized for both its decorative appeal and mild, slightly nutty flavor.

Editorial-style image of Romaine Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Romaine Lettuce

Romaine lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. longifolia) is a leafy vegetable known for its tall, elongated heads and crisp, sturdy leaves, widely prized in global cuisine for its texture and flavor.

Editorial-style image of Iceberg Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Iceberg lettuce

Iceberg lettuce is a crisphead variety of Lactuca sativa known for its tightly packed, round heads and pale green, crunchy leaves, making it one of the most widely grown and consumed lettuces worldwide.

Editorial-style image of Bibb Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Bibb lettuce

Bibb lettuce is a tender, buttery-textured variety of Butterhead lettuce known for its small, loose heads and mild, sweet flavor, prized as a premium salad green.

Editorial-style image of Stem Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Stem Lettuce

Stem lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. angustana), also known as celtuce or asparagus lettuce, is a unique variety of lettuce cultivated primarily for its thick, edible stem rather than its leaves.

Editorial-style image of Butterhead Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Butterhead lettuce

Butterhead lettuce is a cultivated variety of Lactuca sativa known for its soft, tender leaves and loosely formed, rounded heads, prized for its mild flavor and delicate texture in fresh salads and sandwiches.

Editorial-style image of Leaf Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Leaf Lettuce

Leaf lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. crispa) is a widely cultivated variety of lettuce characterized by its loose, non-heading rosette of tender leaves that vary in color from pale green to deep red or bronze.

Editorial-style image of Grand Rapids Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Grand Rapids Lettuce

Grand Rapids Lettuce is a classic loose-leaf cultivar of Lactuca sativa prized for its crisp texture, vigorous growth, and adaptability to cool climates.

Editorial-style image of Batavia Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Batavia lettuce

Batavia lettuce is a crisp, semi-compact variety of Lactuca sativa known for its leaf form that bridges traditional leaf and iceberg lettuces, prized for its texture and heat tolerance.

Editorial-style image of Summercrisp Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Summercrisp lettuce

Summercrisp lettuce is a distinctive type of Lactuca sativa known for its crisp texture, intermediate leaf-head form, and remarkable tolerance to heat, making it ideal for summer cultivation.

Editorial-style image of Wild Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Wild Lettuce

Wild Lettuce (Lactuca virosa) is a robust, bitter wild species closely related to cultivated lettuce, known for its milky latex and historical use in herbal medicine.

Editorial-style image of Salinas Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Salinas lettuce

Salinas lettuce is a crisphead iceberg-type lettuce cultivar prized for its uniform spherical heads and strong disease resistance, widely cultivated in California's Salinas Valley and dominant in the U.S. fresh market.

Editorial-style image of Little Gem Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Little Gem Lettuce

Little Gem Lettuce is a miniature Romaine (Cos) cultivar of Lactuca sativa, prized for its compact size, crisp texture, and sweet, nutty flavor.

Editorial-style image of Crisphead Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Crisphead lettuce

Crisphead lettuce is a group of head-forming lettuces known for their tightly packed, crisp leaves and mild flavor, including popular varieties like Iceberg and Batavia.

Editorial-style image of Green Leaf Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Green Leaf Lettuce

Green Leaf Lettuce is a loose-leaf variety of Lactuca sativa known for its bright green, ruffled leaves and tender texture, widely enjoyed fresh in salads and garnishes.

Editorial-style image of Lollo Bionda Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Lollo Bionda Lettuce

Lollo Bionda Lettuce is a vibrant leaf lettuce cultivar known for its frilly, deeply incised bright green leaves, prized for adding crisp texture and decorative appeal to fresh salads.

Editorial-style image of Buttercrunch Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Buttercrunch Lettuce

Buttercrunch Lettuce is a popular butterhead variety known for its crisp, sweet leaves and compact, semi-heading rosette form, prized for its tender texture and mild flavor.

Editorial-style image of Red Leaf Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Red Leaf Lettuce

Red Leaf Lettuce is a loose-leaf variety of Lactuca sativa known for its vibrant red to burgundy-tinted leaves and tender texture, prized for fresh culinary uses worldwide.

Editorial-style image of Oakleaf Lettuce, taxonomy lettuce, arranged heroically on a dark background with dramatic lighting to emphasize texture and color.

Oakleaf Lettuce

Oakleaf lettuce is a distinctive leaf lettuce cultivar group known for its deeply lobed leaves that resemble those of an oak tree, prized for its tender texture and mild flavor.

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Common Questions

FAQ

Q: What are the main types of lettuce?
A: The primary types include Iceberg (crisphead), Romaine (cos), Butterhead, Leaf lettuce, and Stem lettuce (celtuce).

Q: Is stem lettuce the same as regular lettuce?
A: Stem lettuce, or celtuce, is a variety of Lactuca sativa cultivated mainly for its edible stem rather than leaves, distinguishing it from typical leaf or head lettuces.

Q: How is lettuce classified scientifically?
A: Lettuce is classified as Lactuca sativa within the family Asteraceae, with horticultural varieties categorized by leaf form and usage.

�Every taxonomy ends in another horizon of meaning.�

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