You probably heard before that lettuce actually belongs to the daisy family. Have you ever wondered why? This article explains that, gives other examples of vegetables in this family, as well as some other important information about lettuce. Read on to learn more.
Why is lettuce in the daisy family?
Lettuce is in the daisy family because it has the characteristics in terms of roots and stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds, pollen, and metabolites common in the daisy family. The daisy family, scientifically called Asteraceae (or sunflower family, as others call them), is composed of mostly herbaceous plants, which are characterized by having no woody stems. But there are also other members of the family that are shrubs, vines, and trees.
What vegetables are in the daisy family?
There are a number of vegetables you didn’t know actually belonged to the daisy family. This website is an excellent resource that gives helpful information on different vegetables. According to the article, besides lettuce, other vegetables in the category are burdock (root vegetable), cardoon (stems), and endive (leaf). Besides these, other less known vegetables in the group are Globe artichoke, Jerusalem artichoke, rampion, salsify, and scorzonera.
Is lettuce all water?
No, lettuce is not all water, but it has a water content that can be as high as 96%, depending on the variety. To illustrate, it has about 26.8 ml or 0.9 oz of water per cup shredded, or about 95.6 ml (2.4 oz) per 100 grams.
What are the benefits of lettuce?
There are many health benefits associated with lettuce. Besides water, there are significant amounts of Vitamins A and K in this vegetable, which are an excellent antioxidant that promotes good eye health and cell growth, as well as help bone health, respectively. Other contents are the minerals calcium, potassium, vitamin C, and folate. For other health benefits of lettuce, you may visit this article we have published separately.
Wrap-up
Lettuce is one of the more prominent vegetables that belong to the daisy family. It shares characteristics with other members of this category such as roots and stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds, pollen, and metabolites. Other vegetables that belong to the daisy family are burdock, cardoons, and more. Lettuce has very high water content, but it also has other nutritional contents that are associated with certain health benefits, so it definitely deserves a spot in your diet plan.
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
