modern romaine lettuce. These upright lettuces were developed by the Egyptians and passed to the Greeks who in turn shared them with the Romans. Around 50 AD, Roman agriculturalist Columella described several lettuce varieties - some of which may have been ancestors of today's lettuces.

The plant was eventually selectively bred into a plant grown for its edible leaves. The long leaves in Egyptian depictions suggest that it may have been grown for its