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New Dicliptera Species found
Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) discover a new flowering plant species in Telangana. The species belongs to genus Dicliptera (family Acanthaceae) and is reported from Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary, where it is known only from its type locality.
Dicliptera pakhalica (New species):
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Discovering authority | Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) |
| Place of discovery | Telangana; type locality inside Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary |
| Taxonomy | Flowering plant; family Acanthaceae; genus Dicliptera |
| Nomenclature | Named after Pakhal Lake, described as a historic man-made reservoir from the Kakatiya period |
| Habitat | Grows along stream banks and rocky areas near waterfalls inside Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary |
| Distribution | Known only from its type locality in Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary |
| Family trait | Distributed across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide |
| Key characteristics | Characterised by downward-pointing stem hairs, smooth leaf-like floral parts, non-sticky flowers and fruits, and rough, spiny seeds. |
| Flowering and fruiting period | Flowers between November and January; fruiting extends from December to March |
| Similar species | Closely resembles Dicliptera parvibracteata, native to parts of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha |
| Associated native plants | Tarenna asiatica; Eranthemum purpurascens; Ruellia prostrata; Mallotus philippensis |
| IUCN Red List | Data Deficient (DD) |
| Ecological significance | Adds to plant diversity of the Eastern Ghats landscape; highlights importance of protected sites as a centre of plant diversity |