Lactuca, commonly known as lettuce, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae.

The genus includes at least 50 species, distributed worldwide, but mainly in temperate Eurasia.

Its best-known representative is the garden lettuce (Lactuca sativa), with its many varieties.

[2] Their flower heads have yellow, blue, or white ray florets.

Most wild lettuces are xerophytes, adapted to dry habitat types.