Indian Lettuce (Lactuca indica, 翅果菊).
This biennial herb can grow quite tall, but along the Xiang river this Autumn it has seldom grown beyond 30 to 40 centimeters in height. It has been growing taller on Yuelu Mountain, surpassing one meter where it has unimpeded access to the sun. The leaves are edible, but slightly bitter. The stem can also be cut for its sap: its mild lactucarium is a useful digestive.
