White Lettuce.Prenanthes alba.Rattlesnake-root.
Found on the borders of rich woods in August and September.
The erect stalk, from 2 to 4 feet high, branches near the summit, and is leafy all the way; it is large, round, and smooth. Color, green, or frequently a dark, rich, purplish-red, with a bloom upon it.
The leaves are variable in shape and size; the root-leaves are large, often and deeply cleft, and set on a 3- to 5-inch stem; the lower leaves of the stalk are broad, faintly notched or 3-cleft; while the upper leaves are long and narrow, with entire margins. Their texture is thin (when dried, like paper in quality), and their surface smooth. In color, a dark cool green.
The flower-head is composed of 8 or 12 small “strap-shaped” blossoms hanging from a cup; they are cream colored, tinged with lilac; the cup is composed of 8 narrow, pinkish-gray parts; the stamens are noticeable because their tips split and curl spirally,—they are cream colored also. A few small bracts occur at the base of the flower-head, which droops on a small stem. The heads are arranged in little clusters springing from the angles of the branches and leaves.
As the flower-head matures, there may be found within its nodding cup a bunch of fine reddish hairs, like a sable paint brush,—later this opens into a downy seed tassel. The fine stalk gives the plant a distinguished appearance.