Launaea procumbens

• Botanical Name : Launaea procumbens (Roxb.) Ramayya & Rajagopal
• Synonyms : Prenanthes procumbens Roxb.
• Common Name : Moti Bhonpatri, Creeping Launaea
• Plant Family : Asteraceae (Compositae)

• According to the Rules of ICBN the names of the families should end in -aceae. Thus the new name for the family Compositae became Asteraceae. However, the name Compositae is also exempted and conserved under 'NominaConservanda' because of their constant use for a long time.

• Plant Form : Herb
• Occurrence (Sectors) : 1, 2, 4, 5, 15, 17, 27, 29, 30
• Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park, Ayurvedic Udyan, Sarita Udyan, Van Chetana Kendra, Basan, Aranya Van

About Launaea procumbens Plant :

• Habit : A glabrous herb, with prostrate or decumbent stems and branches but not rooting at nodes.
• Leaves : Mostly radical, entire or pinnatifid, glabrous.
• Inflorescence : Head (Capitulum)
• Flowers : Yellow flowers in heads which are solitary or a few together along the branches.
• Fruit : Achenes truncate at both ends, strongly 4-ribbed.
• Flowering and Fruiting Time : October onwards.
• Significance :
  • The plant is used as fodder for goats.
  • It is also used in the preparation of a cooling sherbet.
  • Leaves are used locally in curries.