Lactuca serriola, more commonly known as the Prickly Lettuce, is found in all temperate climates on the planet. Often considered a weed, in some regions the young plant is eaten as salad. It tastes slightly bitter. When the leaves are broken, they secrete a white sap, which contains Lactucarium, a substance with mild hypnotic effects, similar with the opium.
The image was captured using a Nikon D40X camera with Nikon 55-200mm VR AF-S f/4-5.6G ED lens and these settings: exposure time – 1/400 seconds, focal length – 125 mm, ISO – 200, F- number – 7,1.