Lactuca sativa
- noun
- /lækˈtuːkə ˈseɪtəvə/
- Specialized
:
lechuga
- The crisp leaves of Lactuca sativa make it a favorite ingredient in sandwiches and wraps.
Examples
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We planted Lactuca sativa in our garden this spring.
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The salad was made with fresh Lactuca sativa leaves.
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Lactuca sativa is cultivated worldwide as the main source of fresh lettuce in salads.
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Researchers often study Lactuca sativa to understand the genetics of leafy vegetables.
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Lactuca sativa is commonly used in Caesar salads for its crunchy texture.
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The local grocery store sells organic Lactuca sativa that is perfect for making salads.
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In the garden, we grow Lactuca sativa alongside tomatoes and cucumbers for fresh salads.
Synonyms
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A leafy green vegetable often eaten raw in salads
A leafy garden plant with crisp leaves used in salads
A leafy vegetable grown in gardens for fresh salads
Surface Forms
Morphology
The name is a regular Linnaean binomial composed of the genus 'Lactuca' (a plant genus) and the species epithet 'sativa' (cultivated), so a learner who knows those constituent meanings can infer it denotes the cultivated species of Lactuca (lettuce). Scientific Latin binomials are compositional and cross-linguistically used to label species, so the overall meaning is transparent rather than idiomatic.
Etymology
Lactuca sativa is a scientific name that comes from Latin words: Lactuca relates to 'milk' because the plant gives a white, milky sap when cut, and sativa means 'sown' or 'grown' in gardens. So the name points to a cultivated plant with milky sap, which is why it is used for lettuce today.