Lactuca watsoniana

Lactuca watsoniana
Conservation status
Endangered  (IUCN 3.1) [1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Asterales
Family:	Asteraceae
Genus:	Lactuca
Species:	L. watsoniana
Binomial name
Lactuca watsoniana Trel. [2]

Lactuca watsoniana, locally known as alfacinha, is a species of wild lettuce endemic to the Azores. ^[3] An endangered species, there are fewer than 2000 individuals remaining in the wild. ^[4] DNA evidence shows that it is closely related to the North American species of Lactuca, while the Canary Islands endemic Lactuca palmensis is more closely related to African and European Lactuca lineage. ^[5]

References

1. Schaefer, H. (2011). "Lactuca watsoniana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2011 e.T161995A5525315. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2011-1.RLTS.T161995A5525315.en . Retrieved 20 November 2021.
2. Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 1897: 127 (1897)
3. "Lactuca watsoniana Trel". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
4. Dias, E.F.; Moura, M.; Schaefer, H.; Silva, L. (2015). "Interactions between temperature, light and chemical promoters trigger seed germination of the rare Azorean lettuce, Lactuca watsoniana (Asteraceae)". Seed Science and Technology. 43 (2): 133–144. doi:10.15258/sst.2015.43.2.05.
5. Dias, Elisabete F.; Kilian, Norbert; Silva, Luís; Schaefer, Hanno; Carine, Mark; Rudall, Paula J.; Santos-Guerra, Arnoldo; Moura, Mónica (2018). "Phylogeography of the Macaronesian Lettuce Species Lactuca watsoniana and L. palmensis (Asteraceae)". Biochemical Genetics. 56 (4): 315–340. doi:10.1007/s10528-018-9847-8. PMID   29478137. S2CID   3524756.