Lettuce Seeds

Lettuce's botanical name Lactuca sativa is from the Latin word lac meaning 'milk' - which refers to its milky sap. The genus Lactuca is made up of around 100 species, with Lactuca sativa probably originating in the Near East and countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Originally used as a medicinal plant, it was, however, being eaten as early as 4500BC, and was enjoyed both by the Greeks and Romans. The Greeks believed lettuce induced sleep, the Romans ate it at the beginning of a meal to sharpen the appetite, and it was known to the Anglo-Saxons as sleepwort.