Wikipedia:Today's featured article/September 26, 2012



Lettuce is an annual plant of the family Asteraceae. It was first cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, who turned it from a weed into a plant grown for its leaves. The Greeks and Romans gave it the name "lactuca", from which the modern "lettuce" derives. Varieties developed in Europe in the 16th through 18th centuries can still be found in gardens today. The consumption of lettuce has now spread throughout the world. Lettuce is most often used for salads, but is sometimes seen in other kinds of food. It is a good source of vitamin A and potassium and a minor source of several other vitamins and nutrients. Despite its beneficial properties, lettuce can become contaminated with disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella. Lettuce has also gathered religious and medicinal significance. (more...)

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