Launaea procumbens

Common name: Creeping Launaea • Hindi: Jangi gobi • Marathi: पाथरी Pathari

 Botanical name:   Launaea procumbens

 Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)

 Regional Habitat:  Frequently occurs in moist and sandy soil, cultivated fields, gardens, forest and waste-places. Distribution: Ganganagar, Churu, Bikaner, Jaiselmer, Barmer, Bhilwara, Jaipur, Tonk, Pali, Banswara, Dungarpur, almost throughout Rajasthan

Introduction: Creeping Launaea is a perennial herb, 30-60 cm tall. It has smooth, branched stem. The whole plant secretes a yellow juice. Long leaves, radical in rosettes, base tapering, oblong-obovate, spathulate or runcinate-pinnatifid, 5-25 cm, arise from the roots, have white margins and are spinous toothed. Yellow flower-heads are 1-1.5 cm across, and occur either singly or in small racemes on short stalks along the branches. Flowers: capitula 0.9-1.5 x 0.3-0.4 cm, cylindric, borne solitary or in clusters on sub-racemose manner on the branches; stalk 0.2 cm long, bracteate; Invol. bracts 3-seriate, narrow 0.2-0.4 x 1.0 x 0.15-0.2 cm, margins broadly membranous glabrous; those of outer series sub-cordate at base, ovate, 0.2-0.3 cm, midvein strong, acute; inner ones oblong-linear, 0.5-1.0 cm long, midvein thickened abaxially, sub-acute, longer than the pappus; florets 25-30 in number, fertile; pappus-hairs sub-equal with pappiferous disk, copious soft, white; corolla 1.2-1.7 cm long, creamish-yellow, tube cylindric; anthers 0.3 cm long, oblong; style 1.0 cm long, exserted. Fruits: cypsel 0.2-0.4 cm long, those of inner series, composed of 4 thick ribs; outer ones slightly curved and flattened ribs smooth or obscurely uneven.

Ayurvedic and herbal medicine prepared from this plant promote self healing, good health and longevity, as well as used as a food ingredient

Chemical constituents: Leaves: xyloside. Beta-sitosterol and its acetate, taraxasterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, cholesterol, 28-isofucosterol, stigmast-7-enol,24-methylcholest-7-enol. Hydrocarbons,  higher fatty acids esters of primary alcohols, triterpene alcohols. Apigenin-7-glucoside and its 7-gentiobioside; luteolin-7-glucoside and its 7-gentiobioside, 7-rutinoside, 7,3'-diglucoside, 7,4'-diglucoside and 7-gentiobioside-4'-glucoside. Aesculetin and cichoriin.

Medicinal uses: It has been used in the treatment of nephritis, pulmonary fibrosis, hormonal balance and sexual diseases.

Flowers and fruits: September-April.