Common name: Creeping Launaea • Hindi: Jangi
gobi • Marathi: पाथरी
Pathari
Botanical name:
Launaea procumbens
Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment