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)

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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);   
 

 

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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.


  

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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”.


 

 

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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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