Botanical name: Lapsana communis    Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)
Synonyms: Lapsana pubescens, Lapsana glandulosa

Nipplewort is an annual or perennial herbaceous plant growing up to 1-1.2 m tall, with hairy stems and clear (not milky) sap. The leaves are spirally arranged; larger leaves at the base of the flowering stem are often pinnate, with a large oval terminal leaflet and one to four small side leaflets, while smaller leaves higher on the stem are simple oval; all leaves have a toothed margin. The flowers are yellow, produced in a flower-head 1-2 cm in diameter. The flower-heads are borne numerous in loose clusters at the top of the stem. Nipplewort is found worldwide. In India it is found in Jammu and Kashmir. The English name 'nipplewort' was coined in the 17th century as an equivalent of papillaris (from Latin papilla, meaning a nipple), the name used by German apothecaries, since the plant was used to treat cracked nipples and ulcerated breasts.

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The flower labeled Nipplewort is ...