400 seeds. 45–65 days. Lactuca sativa var. asparagina. Loose leaf. 
 
Celtuce 'Sword Leaf' has unique long, thin, green leaves. The leaves, as well as the thick bolted stems, are great in Chinese stir fry. Rather than eaten raw, Sword Leaf is usually cooked, but the young leaves can be eaten in a salad. It is heat and cold tolerant and self sows. Also known as Sword Leaf Lettuce and Yu Mai Tsai. Native to Asia.
 
You can eat the leaves of celtuce like lettuce when it is young, but the best part comes when it bolts. To eat the thick stems it is critical that you space the plants at least 8 inches apart or more, otherwise the bolted stem will be small. Once the plants have bolted and are starting to form a flowerhead, cut the stem at the base of the plant.
 
The white sap in the peel is bitter, so pull off the leaves and peel the stem with a vegetable peeler. Then wash any remaining white sap off. I was surprised that the inner core of celtuce was not bitter. It tasted like a combination of cucumber and celery. You can eat it raw with dressing or cooked in stir fry or soup. Lightly cooked, it has the texture of a broccoli stem.
 
Spacing 8 inches.
 
Sowing Celtuce Seeds: 
 
Sow seeds on the surface of the soil in early spring and lightly cover with soil. Thin to 8 inches apart. Full sun to part shade.