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| Dicliptera pakhalica Rasingam, P. Harikrishna, Parthiban & V. Chandra Sekhara Rao, in Rasingam, Harikrishna, Parthiban et Rao, 2026. |
Abstract
Dicliptera pakhalica (Acanthaceae) is described here as a new species from Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary, Mahabubabad District, Telangana, India. The species is closely related to D. parvibracteata, sharing a similar inflorescence structure and small bracts. However, it differs in several key morphological characters, including the presence of hairs on the stem, unkeeled secondary and tertiary bracts, the absence of glandular hairs on the calyx, corolla, and capsules, and echinate seeds. A detailed morphological description, notes on distribution and habitat, and photographic illustrations are provided to support the identification of this new species and stimulate further study.
Keywords: Deciduous forests, Justiciinae, Mahabubabad, Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary
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| A–D. Dicliptera pakhalica. A. Habit. B. Flowering twig. C. Flower. D. Fruits. E–G. Dicliptera parvibracteata. E. Flowering twig. F. Flower. G. Fruit with glandular hairs. (Photos by L. Rasingam). |
Dicliptera pakhalica Rasingam, P. Harikrishna, Parthiban & V. Chandra Sekhara Rao, sp. nov.
Diagnosis. Dicliptera pakhalica is morphologically similar to D. parvibracteata in its inflorescence architecture and the presence of small-sized bracts. However, it differs in several key diagnostic characters, including secondary and tertiary bracts that are eglandular and not keeled (vs. prominently keeled and bearing glandular hairs in D. parvibracteata); calyx, corolla, and capsules uniformly eglandular (vs. sparsely to densely covered with a mixture of glandular and simple hairs); capsule obovoid (vs. ellipsoid); and seeds echinate (vs. tuberculate) (Table 1).
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Etymology. The specific epithet pakhalica refers to the type locality the Pakhal Lake, a famous man-made water body dating to the Kakatiya rule in Telangana state, which was later declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary.
L. Rasingam, P. Harikrishna, A. Parthiban and V. Chandra Sekhara Rao. 2026. Dicliptera pakhalica (Acanthaceae) – A New Species from Telangana, India. Brittonia. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s12228-025-09869-4 [29 January 2026]