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The Corroboree
planthelper

legal poppies new now with tek!

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careful PH, I think orientale is a prohibited import and is also illegal to grow in many states, so should probably not be listed as legal.

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I though I might add a quick word on another specie that doesn't seem to be mentioned much.

Through blatant experimentation over the years, I've found that Lactuca oblongifolia, syn. L. pulchella, L. tatatica, also known as blue wild lettuce, is more active than L. virosa or L. serriola. Blue wild lettuce grows in fairly large amounts in my area, more likely to be found in wetter soils than dry. I often find it in the Missouri River valley, or near the branches of the Platte rivers. I got interested when I studied up on Lactuca species, located some, and noticed that the latex is much more bitter than virosa or serriola. That led me to try it. For me, it seems to be consistently more active than the other two, which also grow in my area.

For all three species, I found that the timing of harvest, whether latex or foliage, is important. It seems to be more active when is just going into the flower stage. Buds present, but flowers not open. The blue lettuce, at least in my area, flowers later in the year than the other two.

I don't know if oblongifolia has ever manage to find it's way to Oz, but for those in the US who are into the lettuce thing, it's definitely worth a try. There are plenty of pictures and description online to help you ID.

Edited by wophezuta
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Hi friend,

For me, (Lactuca oblongifolia) seems to be consistently more active

By this, do you mean in terms of qualitatively different or just in terms of potency? Do you think lactucine largely explains the effects of Lactuca sp.?

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More so in terms of potency, perhaps some qualitative differences, but that's generally true of different batches of any product from the Lactuca species. Individual plants vary in potency, the timing of harvest affects potency, the enviromental conditions during growth, etc, all affect potency. Not sure, but I'm guessing this all results in individual plants having quite variable alkaloid profiles. If one had the time and will to do so, it might be possible to identify and selectively breed lines of plants that are superior and more uniform in activity. You'd have to really be into it. Hard to justify when there's so much of the stuff just there for the taking.

Yes, I think the activity is due to lactucin and related alkaloids. There might be that one "magic" alkaloid in the lot that gives particulary good batches their zing. Or that one special prep that works very well.

In my experience, oblongifolia more consistently produces "good" batches.

Edited by wophezuta
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