Lactuca inermis aka Wild Lettuce

Lactuca inermis is a perennial herb in the daisy family, Asteraceae. Its stems stand upright and have few branches. A long, thick taproot supports the plant below ground. Useful Tropical Plants records it across much of Africa. That range runs from the wetter Sahel south to South Africa. It also includes Madagascar and Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula. Kew's supplied range record lists western Yemen alone.

Stems range from about 0.2 to 4.9 feet [0.05–1.5 metres] tall. Some reach 7.9 feet [2.4 metres], though these are exceptional. These figures describe the plant, not a proven garden size. The source also gives a summary height of 3.3 feet [1 metre]. It shows basal leaves, flowering stems, seeds, and the root. A wounded stem releases milky latex. The supplied text gives no detailed leaf or flower description.

This plant grows in grassland, woodland, and land left fallow. It also grows beside roads and colonises disturbed ground. The account links it with places that receive more rain. It favours moist sites and hollows that become wet each season. Most recorded sites lie at 2,130–9,190 feet [650–2,800 metres] above sea level. Some reach about 11,320 feet [3,450 metres]. Kew places it within a tropical climate with a dry season. These records describe habitat rather than tested garden care.

Flowers can appear at any time of year. The plant often flowers when it has no leaves. Insects pollinate its flowers. People gather wild plants for local food and medicinal use. They cook the leaves and young shoots as a vegetable. The source records an older-leaf infusion used for venereal disease. This is a report of traditional use, not proof of benefit. The plant can become a weed where soil has been disturbed.

The account gives no confirmed species-specific report of toxicity. Its warning instead draws on other members of the genus. That warning does not establish this species as safe to eat. The supplied evidence gives no tested frost limit or hardiness zone. It also gives no clear garden spread or growth rate. No species-specific pests or diseases appear in the supplied account.