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The Indian lettuce (Lactuca indic) belongs to Asteraceae (the Aster family). It is an annual herb that is widely distributed in various parts of Japan, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Moreover, it is thought that it was naturalized from the Asian continent in old age because it grows only where people live. It grows up to 60-200 cm, and the lower leaves are divided into pinnate lobes and arranged in alternate. The large panicle is borne and the pale yellowish white flowers will bloom from August to November. The flowers open in the daytime and wither in the evening. The Japanese name is due to being similar to "Nogeshi (Sonchus oleraceus)" and blooming in fall. In Taiwanese, it is called "鵝仔草", and in Chinese, it is called "翅果菊" (chi guo ju).
In Korean, it's called "wang-co-deul-ppae-gi" (왕고들빼기). This is a compound ward consisting of "king" (wang: 왕) and "Sonchus-leaf false hawksbeard" (co-deul-ppae-gi: 고들빼기). In South Korea, the young leaves and roots are used as spring and fall mountain vegetables, often prepared as "kimchi" or "mu-chim" (dressed vegetables), where people enjoy their distinctive, slightly bitter flavor.
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