▁plant ▁may ▁have ▁bud s , ▁flowers , ▁and ▁a chen es ▁simultaneously . ▁Ro ots ▁are ▁a ▁thick ▁deep ▁tap ro ots ▁that ▁contain ▁a ▁white ▁late x ▁that ▁is ▁apparent ▁when ▁cut . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁Canada ▁lett us ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁genus ▁L act uca , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁flow ering ▁plants ▁in ▁the ▁da isy ▁family ▁( A ster aceae ), ▁that ▁are ▁commonly ▁is ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" lett u ces ". ▁The ▁genus ▁contains ▁at ▁least ▁ 5 0 ▁species ▁world wide . ▁L act uca ▁canad ensis ▁was ▁first ▁formally ▁described ▁by ▁Carl ▁Lin na eus ▁in ▁ 1 7 5 9 . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁seen ▁to ▁hy brid ize ▁wild ly ▁with ▁L act uca ▁lud ov ic iana , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁difficult ▁to ▁differenti ate ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁species . ▁ ▁Range ▁and ▁habitat ▁It ▁occurs ▁across ▁the ▁contin ental ▁United ▁States , ▁except ▁for ▁Nev ada ▁and ▁Arizona , ▁and ▁across ▁most ▁provinces ▁in ▁Canada . ▁It ▁is ▁found ▁commonly ▁in ▁all ▁count ies ▁in ▁Illinois . ▁ ▁It ▁grows ▁in ▁mo ist ▁to ▁dry ▁habit ats ▁in ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁soil ▁types , ▁include ▁black ▁soil , ▁cl ay , ▁and ▁gra vel ▁pra i ries . ▁L act uca ▁canad ensis ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁wood lands , ▁thick ets , ▁sav ann as , ▁borders ▁of ▁la kes ▁and ▁rivers , ▁lim estone ▁gl ades , ▁f ence ▁rows , ▁past ures , ▁abandoned ▁fields , ▁power