Launaea acaulis

Launaea acaulis (Roxb.) Kerr, “in Craib, Fl. Siam. Enum. ii. 299 (1936).” 1936. (Syn: Crepis acaulis (Roxb.) Hook.f.; Crepis tonkinensis Gagnep.; Launaea glabra (Wight) Franch.; Microrhynchus glaber Wight; Prenanthes acaulis Roxb.; Youngia acaulis (Roxb.) DC.);
.
Dichotomous Key to Launaea Species in Maharashtra:
1a. Plant margins closely and sharply toothed with distinct, firm, white cartilaginous teeth; plant stems prostrate or decumbent but never rooting at nodes; exudate juice is yellow-orange — Launaea procumbens
1b. Plant leaf margins – entire or finely toothed, lacking white cartilaginous teeth; plant juices typically milky white. — (Go to 2) 

2a. Stems highly reduced or absent (acaulescent / stemless); leaves entirely clustered in a dense basal rosette; flower heads borne vertically on tall, erect, unbranched or sparingly branched naked scapes; found inland in grasslands, deciduous forests, or basaltic plateaus — Launaea acaulis
2b. Stems long, whip-like, trailing, and proactively rooting at the nodes to produce secondary leaf clusters; flower heads solitary or few, sitting directly at the nodes; strictly restricted to sandy maritime coastlines and beaches — Launaea sarmentosa
.


Scapigerous perennial herbs with thick rootstock; juice milky. Leaves all basal, 8-15 x 1-3 cm, oblong, acute or obtuse, entire or finely toothed, glabrous. Heads 15 x 8 mm, cylindrical, 10-15 together, cymose, on elongated scapes. Scapes 3-5, 15-20 cm high, branched, glabrous. Bracts uniseriate, 10 x 2.5 mm, acute, oblong, margins white. Flowers all ligulate; corolla bright yellow, 18 mm long, glabrous, limb oblong; anthers sagittate at base. Achenes 5 x 1 mm, compressed, yellowish brown.

Flowering and fruiting: March-September
Moist deciduous forests
India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Pakistan and Iran

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 Launaea sp for ID -25022014-PKA-Feb55 : 6 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (4).  

Looks like Launaea sp.
Location: Mullayangiri (Altitude: approx 5500 ft) – Karnataka
Family: Asteraceae
Date/Time: 26-01-2014 / 11:45AM
Habitat: Wild
Plant Habit: Herb


L . acaulis?….


Launaea species so far in efi


It looks like Launaea acaulis to me too.



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Launaea sarmentosa (Willd.) Sch.Bip. ex Kuntze SN Oct 16 : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (4).
Launaea sarmentosa (Willd.) Sch.Bip. ex Kuntze
wild herb from the out skirts of Bangalore.

this plant looks different from L. sarmentosa which is a sarmentose herb usually found in coastal areas. meemelink
Could this be L. acaulis?


I agree with you, I did not go through any key before uploading. It is Launaea acaulis (Roxb.) Babc. ex Kerr
Thank you …



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ANAPR52 Launaea sp. for identification : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (9)

Family: Asteraceae
Date: 24th August 2015
Place: Mullayanagiri, Chikamagalur, Karnataka

Habit: Herb
Habitat: Grasslands


Pl. check Launaea acaulis


It matches with Launaea acaulis.


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ID request 200615AK Please confirm if this is Launaea acaulis. : 3 posts by 3 authors. No images seen now.
Found on the slopes of a hillock near Nandi Hills, (approx 60km from bangalore) Chikballapur district.
Milky juice was present in leaves and tuber

It looks similar to Wight’s illustration – plantillustrations,
please wait for members who have recorded it.


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Requesting a herb id_190422-2:

A small herb with asteraceae-like complex flowers. The fruits is a rust-brown colored capsule, with a lot of hairy seeds. Found in the High elevations of montane grasslands. Sakleshpura, Karnataka

Also post fruiting image.


The fruits appear on the 10-12 o’clock position of the picture.


What I see are all buds or flowers, no fruits.
I think close to images at Launaea acaulis (Roxb.) Kerr


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FOR VALIDATION :: ¿ Sonchus sp. ? :: The Nilgiris :: Jan 29, 2026 · 9:19 AM IST: 7 images.

FOR VALIDATION ::
¿ Sonchus sp. ?
The Nilgiris :: Jan 29, 2026 · 9:19 AM IST
Kudimalmund, about 2144 m asl


Launea ??


Yes, possible, many many thanks …
I suggest Launaea acaulis (Roxb.) Babc. ex Kerr

Looks good but not sure about the distribution.


Yes, possible after going through FoPI, as this is the only species that seems to be distributed at high elevation as per FoPI.


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FOR VALIDATION :: ¿ Launaea procumbens (Roxb.) Ramayya & Rajagopal ? :: Kalsubai Harishchandragad WLS :: Apr 6, 2026 · 11:20 AM IST: 3 images.

FOR VALIDATION ::
¿ Launaea procumbens (Roxb.) Ramayya & Rajagopal ?
Kalsubai Harishchandragad WLS :: Apr 6, 2026 · 11:20 AM IST
Kothale, Akole, Ahilyanagar, average altitude 600 m asl


What are the keys in Flora of Maharashtra?


Many thanks … for asking for the keys to Launaea spp. in Maharashtra – it made me relook at my suggested ID.
My posted plant should be Launaea acaulis (Roxb.) Babc. ex Kerr
Here are the keys that I asked Google AI to generate –
Dichotomous Key to Launaea Species in Maharashtra

1a. Plant margins closely and sharply toothed with distinct, firm, white cartilaginous teeth; plant stems prostrate or decumbent but never rooting at nodes; exudate juice is yellow-orange — Launaea procumbens
1b. Plant leaf margins – entire or finely toothed, lacking white cartilaginous teeth; plant juices typically milky white. — (Go to 2) 

2a. Stems highly reduced or absent (acaulescent / stemless); leaves entirely clustered in a dense basal rosette; flower heads borne vertically on tall, erect, unbranched or sparingly branched naked scapes; found inland in grasslands, deciduous forests, or basaltic plateaus — Launaea acaulis
2b. Stems long, whip-like, trailing, and proactively rooting at the nodes to produce secondary leaf clusters; flower heads solitary or few, sitting directly at the nodes; strictly restricted to sandy maritime coastlines and beaches — Launaea sarmentosa


Updated on July 13, 2026

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