Dicliptera pakhalica

Why in News?

Recently, a new species of plant has been discovered in Telangana by scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI).

• The new flowering plant belongs to the Acanthaceae family.
• Genus – Dicliptera.
• Nomenclature – Named after Pakhal Lake, a historic man-made reservoir from the Kakatiya period.
• Habitat – Grows along stream banks and rocky areas near waterfalls inside Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Distribution – The species is known only from its type locality in Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • Family Trait – Notably, the Acanthaceae family of plants are distributed across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.
• Key Characteristics –
• Plant – Stem has tiny hairs lying flat and pointing downward
• Leaf-like parts near the flowers are smooth, without a central ridge
• Flowers and fruits – Lack sticky or oil-secreting hairs
• Seeds have a rough, spiny surface
  • Flowers between November and January
  • Fruiting extends from December to March.
• Similar species – It closely resembles Dicliptera parvibracteata, a species native to parts of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
• Unique association – The species occurs in association with other native plants such as Tarenna asiatica, Eranthemum purpurascens, Ruellia prostrata and Mallotus philippensis.
• Conservation Status –
  • IUCN Red List – Data Deficient (DD).
• Ecological Significance – It adds to the plant diversity of the Eastern Ghats landscape.
• Highlights the importance of protected sites as a centre of plant diversity.

References

The New Indian Express | Dicliptera pakhalica