 Lettuce appears in many medieval writings , especially as a medicinal herb . Hildegard of Bingen mentioned it in her writings on medicinal herbs between 1098 and 1179 , and many early herbals also describe its uses . In 1586 , Joachim Camerarius provided descriptions of the three basic modern lettuces – head lettuce , loose @-@ leaf lettuce , and romaine ( or cos ) lettuce . Lettuce was first brought to the Americas from Europe by Christopher Columbus in the late 15th century . Between the late 16th century and the early 18th century , many varieties were developed in Europe , particularly Holland . Books published in the mid @-@ 18th and early 19th centuries describe several varieties found in gardens today . 
