Launaea Cass.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Annual to perennial herbs, subshrubs or shrublets, sometimes spinescent, with white latex, chiefly glabrous

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Flowering stems terminating in synflorescences with few to many capitula Capitula c. 8–45-flowered; involucre slender, phyllaries mostly with distinct scarious margin, in a few outer series and an inner series of distinctly longer, equal, linear-lanceolate ones; receptacle naked

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Florets all ligulate, 5-toothed, bisexual, of some shade of yellow; anthers with sagittate basal and rounded apical appendages

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes homomorphic or heteromorphic, usually slender, c. 2–6 mm long, cylindric to subfusiform, the marginal somewhat curved and flattened; pappus persistent or deciduous, either of ± numerous uniform bristles or of ± numerous outer downy hairs and fewer inner bristles; bristles and hairs scabrid.

Distribution

Genus of 55 species mainly in Africa and south-western to southern and central Asia, six in Mediterranean Europe, one each in western Australia and, introduced, in the New World (Caribbean and adjacent regions).

Ghazanfar, S. A., Edmondson, J. R. & Hind, D. J. N. (Eds). (2019). Flora of Iraq, Volume 6: Compositae.Kew Publishing

Morphology General Habit

Annual or perennial, erect or procumbent herbs, rosette-forming or stems leafy; some species fleshy

Morphology Leaves

Leaves lobed or deeply divided, usually with a white cartilaginous margin bearing white teeth

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula remote or in sessile imbricate, clusters, few- to many-flowered; phyllaries biseriate, outer shorter and generally broad, inner lanceolate, both ± glabrous; receptacle naked

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corollas yellow

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes all similar or di- or trimorphic, ornamentation decreasing towards center of capitulum, truncate; pappus homo- or heteromorphic, white, persistent or caducous as a ring.

Distribution

About 54 species in S Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia and Africa, one species in Australia; 5 species in Iraq.

Etymology

Launaea (named in honour of the librarian at the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, Jean Claude Michel Mordant de Launay (c. 1750–1816).).

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44849/10953160

Conservation

DD - data deficient

Compositae, H. Beentje, C. Jeffrey & D.J.N. Hind. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2005

Morphology General Habit

Herbs or spiny sub-shrubs, sometimes acaulescent, sometimes scapose; stems simple or branched, glabrous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves in a rosette or cauline, entire to pinnatipartite

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Capitulum

Capitula subsessile or shortly stalked, in lax irregular corymbs, or in clusters along the branches; involucre cylindric becoming campanulate; phyllaries in few series, the outermost smallest, becoming swollen and corky, often with scarious margins; receptacle epaleate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Florets

Florets few to many; anthers sagittate; style branches with long sweeping hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes cylindric or fusiform, sometimes beaked, ribbed, usually dimorphic with the outer darker and rugose, the inner pale and smooth; pappus of setae only, or of mixed setae and downy hairs.

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual herbs, the stems glabrous or glaucous

Morphology Leaves

Leaves in a basal rosette, and/or cauline, sharply toothed or lobed, the venation pinnate

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence paniculate, with numerous heads, the peduncles often branched

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Heads few–many-flowered, cylindrical, the outer bracts 4 or 5, ovate, shorter than the oblong inner ones; receptacle flat, naked.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla yellow, glabrous or pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Achenes prismatic or slightly flattened with truncate apex, ribbed, shiny or rugose, glabrous or puberulous; pappus of numerous white bristles, these monomorphic or dimorphic.

Distribution

A widespread tropical genus of about 80 species.