Launaea asplenifolia

Launaea asplenifolia Hook.f., Fl. Brit. Ind. iii. 415. iii. 415.  (Syn: Ammoseris asplenifolia D.Dietr.; Chondrilla asplenifolia Poir.);
 
Images by Gurcharan Singh & Surajit Koley (For more photos & complete details, click on the links)
https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix/attach/39f6de9d5cf19def/Launaea-asplenifolia-Khalsa-1-7-DSC01902-Delhi-3.jpg?part=0.1&authuser=0&view=1
https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix/attach/39f6de9d5cf19def/Launaea-asplenifolia-Vikas-puri-6-4-DSC05016-Delhi-1.jpg?part=0.4&authuser=0&view=1
https://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix/attach/125089ea8240b2e5/P1000865.jpg?part=0.7&authuser=0&view=1

 

Plant Wealth of the Lower Ganga Delta: An Eco-taxonomical Approach, Volume 2 By Kumudranjan Naskar (Description & Keys- asplenifolia & sarmentosa) 
 
Bengal Plants describes 3 plants :-
  1. Heads terminal, or racemose.... margins of leaves with few or no teeth; teeth if present not cartilaginous at tips ------ L. aspleniifolia
  2. Heads terminal, or racemose....margins of leaves closely, sharply toothed, the teeth white, firm and cartilaginous at the tips ------ L. nudicaulis (Launaea nudicaulis auct. (India) non. L. nudicaulis (L.) Hook.f. sensu stricto (Syn. of Launaea procumbens) as per references)
  3. Heads solitary or fascicled at the nodes of the flagelliform, rooting flowering stem ----- L. pinnatifida (syn. of Launaea sarmentosa (Willd.) Alston);   
 
 
https://08511630493324166816.googlegroups.com/attach/39f6de9d5cf19def/Launaea-asplenifolia-Khalsa-1-7-DSC01906-Delhi-2.jpg?part=0.3&view=1&vt=ANaJVrE3N9RRV44_Wc2LdtCg5Yjpuyr2_HkjIKRmM0jLNZFjZAiC6zH0JHOYLO2r9iJIcWnigNO4yc_axqMdDQSjMjD-EwSqi3usi_SnPVcf59jEapFTmoA
https://08511630493324166816.googlegroups.com/attach/39f6de9d5cf19def/Launaea-asplenifolia-Khalsa-1-7-DSC01905-a.jpg?part=0.2&view=1&vt=ANaJVrEcz-ggXdAqVTIXASD3T9ws63kexAwqys-pTAIE7DMXphKxe7L4nAS_Qu2FZmvIIMCH0g6D07xH8WR3ROAUlCC_b_stQOkG8_kUNoT3TcCQ3OPj_qs

Attachments (4). 1 post by 1 author.
Launaea asplenifolia photographed from Delhi 
 
4 posts by 2 authors.
It is very interesting to compare the two illustrations below -
Photographs were recorded on 4/4/13, 6/4/13 & 27/4/13 in the same field.
  
https://08511630493324166816.googlegroups.com/attach/6e5cf3a215bcbbc2/P1020175.jpg?part=0.9&view=1&vt=ANaJVrHFe3MuKuGh9J5pq16pOhkynCBc7W9uJ6o4pPZj-nFJ_USUeHBSfMuN2CsUGCf5p6TRzYc0eW1GlIpWpUzITpkH_dbwJra3GWza19TayHlk142aoOs
 
https://08511630493324166816.googlegroups.com/attach/6e5cf3a215bcbbc2/P1000678.jpg?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrFqxiV6ffvD_4RK6XACcuNGjaiDfMFKS6niRvQcLRzlBfWjMT86P4WWThVO5ic-P6JnLZhmC7w1rAg7e_GtoLmm-W8La37hG-p3sgDQE5LAv_WyujE
https://08511630493324166816.googlegroups.com/attach/6e5cf3a215bcbbc2/P1000679.jpg?part=0.2&view=1&vt=ANaJVrGuuvfqAw187qJjKfkkyeaYpsNtGRACMuP-RdGciSj2xJCV_RI5I-wXqC8c_jrvVBla7ZKHBH0oa48Qm96PdcqcEx9q5MbJSX1Kgoho-qO-pLtgzlQ
https://08511630493324166816.googlegroups.com/attach/6e5cf3a215bcbbc2/P1000681.jpg?part=0.3&view=1&vt=ANaJVrEW6j9M24u75WjSimIYs0CYUs54VbqHNrgnGy1pxBTpVEiqk2EChy6fN8nglizGk1YKqKin1G6lHVgA1NeNweTYHBGdjMGKGIdwCEdjKdftqvXVtV4
https://08511630493324166816.googlegroups.com/attach/6e5cf3a215bcbbc2/P1000686.jpg?part=0.6&view=1&vt=ANaJVrGUWsAQtptMJfH_dr3UL1ew9SgpsfiqC0ym19EmClWGNBO7L70b0ung4UdDQhF27Pml5cryQFrWVV-EdNsB4GNohLuixtwaXgcB7NOFbx2CfkGnmD4
https://08511630493324166816.googlegroups.com/attach/6e5cf3a215bcbbc2/P1000683.jpg?part=0.5&view=1&vt=ANaJVrHvzob_HrkfxT-dwNn6mwykUutdSK0EjREwZ9dsLkWNLImPLL-39b_fVTYmjegWgoTXvYiSihnmqJWDTYohW0WaJD-ngYR59Q1waCX_F9Qw0oYsd1o
https://08511630493324166816.googlegroups.com/attach/6e5cf3a215bcbbc2/P1000682.jpg?part=0.4&view=1&vt=ANaJVrH0kFwt3so8n4MNOc-_2nYZ06rPOaie4LbuGtCXh5m6waIi-0CmUUY2ShWJijctnA3gb9CJItOCTbp7wxUgOOsO3iQ5_eNeXCx-IlXS6Ne4XtzIw70
https://08511630493324166816.googlegroups.com/attach/6e5cf3a215bcbbc2/P1020174.jpg?part=0.8&view=1&vt=ANaJVrFDdWdFtvsmlaZVaguHsT-gy3PIFAk2BPsrczYAASTYNm6qJH1Vac47fCTNIwZ6cjNZ7eXghOM9VtOI2XvGv_1hscDbaxXfe3o5-cg7s_pPQvJSEPM
https://08511630493324166816.googlegroups.com/attach/6e5cf3a215bcbbc2/P1020434.jpg?part=0.11&view=1&vt=ANaJVrFe18bOM3dA4Yo1_7DEJK6VkhdWMucu7xu0hUepEvrtJg3-zOaQNtd_UTzdjxbR_ZsF9BTYZ4P9WaZjyIw38XIDX06OEQ2KGYELFVBr7-qUH4lfsfk
Attachments (11). 3 posts by 2 authors.
This is the same set as in - efi thread (Hooghly : Launaea asplenifolia Hook.f.? or Launaea procumbens Roxb.?) + one more close up of leaf. 
The Key to genera (efi thread) tells me that it is a Launaea species.
Bengal Plants describes 3 plants :-
  1. Heads terminal, or racemose.... margins of leaves with few or no teeth; teeth if present not cartilaginous at tips ------ L. aspleniifolia
  2. Heads terminal, or racemose....margins of leaves closely, sharply toothed, the teeth white, firm and cartilaginous at the tips ------ L. nudicaulis (Launaea nudicaulis auct. (India) non. L. nudicaulis (L.) Hook.f. sensu stricto (Syn. of Launaea procumbens) as per references)
  3. Heads solitary or fascicled at the nodes of the flagelliform, rooting flowering stem ----- L. pinnatifida (syn. of Launaea sarmentosa (Willd.) Alston)
Isn't my plant Launaea aspleniifolia Hook.f. (Prenanthes aspleniifolia F. I. iii. 404 partly) ?
(It is interesting to note that what is L. aspleniifolia Hook f. in "Bengal Plants" is L. aspleniifolia DC. in F. B. I. iii. 415)
I think this is L. aspleniifolia Hook f., as per key in "Bengal Plants".
 
 
https://08511630493324166816.googlegroups.com/attach/b57d47d3c0ddae20/P1150671.jpg?part=0.1&view=1&vt=ANaJVrGUpQvkJoC5G4gDwmY7na7UBqvJkZmnHfgO4gnloaMtHsTCowa6alOYHrCKWpFtGJN72zRQKgQbeL8XStOEgpA2D2ZwtElQ6NxhlLK0zGaZDIdETHk
But FoC, I depend much, doesn't feature this.
KEW has several herb. of Prenanthes dichotoma -
FBI thinks Prenanthes dichotoma Wall. is Launaea asplenifolia.
A similar looking species illustrations in http://plantillustrations.org/species.php?id_species=588803,
This is Launaea asplenifolia Hook.f. as per lit. and kew herb.
Launaea sarmentosa (Willd.) Sch.Bip. ex Kuntze is different which I don't know.

 
 
 
 

References:

The Plant List  Indian Medicinal Plants: An Illustrated Dictionary edited by C.P. Khare 

Plant Wealth of the Lower Ganga Delta: An Eco-taxonomical Approach, Volume 2 By Kumudranjan Naskar (Description & Keys- asplenifolia & sarmentosa)  

Flora of Madhya Pradesh: Chhatarpur and Damoh By G. P. Roy, B. K. Shukla, Bhaskar (Launaea nudicaulis auct. (India) non. L. nudicaulis (L.) Hook.f. sensu stricto (Syn. of Launaea procumbens)) 
 
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