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| Justicia balakrishnaniana Parthiban, Rasingam & D. Sandhya Deepika, in Parthiban, Rasingam et Deepika, 2026. |
Abstract
Justicia balakrishnaniana Parthiban, Rasingam & D. Sandhya Deepika (Acanthaceae) is described and illustrated as a new species from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. It is morphologically allied to J. ekakusuma due to similarities in the inflorescence and bracteoles, but differs in its decumbent growth habit, stems that root at the lower nodes, 5-lobed calyx, fruits lacking a constriction at the middle and wingless seeds. An identification key to the species of Justicia in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is provided.
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| Justicia balakrishnaniana. — A: Habit. — B: Flower. — C: Fruiting twig. — D: Flower bud. — E: Dorsal and ventral view of bract. — F: Dorsal and ventral view of bracteoles. — G: Corolla open. — H: Calyx. — I: Unequal calyx lobes. — J: Stamens. — K: Ovary with style. — L: Capsule. — M: Seeds. D–M from the holotype; A–C photographed at Munda Pahad region of Chidiyatapu, 1 July 2025. |
Justicia balakrishnaniana Parthiban, Rasingam & D. Sandhya Deepika, sp. nova
Annual, erect or decumbent herbs, up to 30 cm tall; stems angular, 6-ridged, pubescent with strigose or hispid downwards-facing hairs on ridges, rooting at lower nodes; internodes 2–5 cm long, green. Leaves distinctly petiolate, petiole 1–2 mm long, sparsely hairy; lamina ovate to sub-orbicular, rarely elliptic, 0.6–1.5 × 0.4–1 cm, base cuneate to shortly attenuate, margins thickened with scabrous hairs, apex obtuse to rounded, sparsely strigose hairy on both sides; midrib prominent, on both sides with scabrous hairs; secondary veins 3–4 pairs, faint on adaxial surface, prominent on abaxial surface; cystoliths horizontally distributed along margins on adaxial surface. Inflorescence terminal spike, up to 3 cm long or solitary in ...
Etymology. The species is named in honour of Dr. N.P. Balakrishnan, former Regional Botanist of the Botanical Survey of India, who was instrumental in establishing the Andaman and Nicobar Regional Centre of the Botanical Survey of India at Port Blair.
Arikrishnan Parthiban, Ladan Rasingam, and Devara Sandhya Deepika. 2026. Justicia balakrishnaniana (Acanthaceae), a New Species from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. Annales Botanici Fennici. 63(1); 5-8. DOI: doi.org/10.5735/085.063.0102 (30 January 2026)
