HYDERABAD: Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have identified a new species of flowering plant in Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary in Mahbubabad district. The species, named Dicliptera pakhalica, belongs to the Acanthaceae family and has been formally described in the international botanical journal Brittonia on January 29.
The discovery was made during floristic surveys conducted by the authors — Botanical Survey of India scientist L Rasingam, botanist P Harikrishna, research scholar A Parthiban and forest divisional officer V Chandra Sekhara Rao — in the Pandem East Beat of the Gangaram Range in Mahbubabad district. The plant was found growing along stream banks and rocky areas near waterfalls inside the sanctuary, a habitat that supports a diverse assemblage of native flora.
According to the researchers, Dicliptera pakhalica closely resembles Dicliptera parvibracteata, a species native to parts of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. However, detailed morphological examination of field specimens, herbarium collections and existing literature revealed several clear differences. These include adpressed deflexed hairiness on the stem, distinctively unkeeled bracts, the absence of glandular hairs on floral parts and fruit, an obovoid capsule, and echinate (spiny) seeds — features that confirm it as a separate species.
The genus Dicliptera is one of the most species-rich within the Acanthaceae family, with more than 220 species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. In India, 29 taxa of the genus have been recorded so far. With this discovery, Telangana further strengthens its position as an important centre for plant diversity, especially within the Eastern Ghats landscape.
Field observations indicate that Dicliptera pakhalica flowers between November and January, with fruiting extending from December to March. The species occurs in association with other native plants such as Tarenna asiatica, Eranthemum purpurascens, Ruellia prostrata and Mallotus philippensis, among others.
Speaking to TNIE, Rasingam said that so far, the species is known only from its type locality in Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary. “Extensive surveys carried out between 2023 and 2025 in nearby regions did not record its presence elsewhere. Due to this limited known distribution, the researchers have classified the species as ‘Data Deficient’ under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines, stressing the need for further field studies to assess its conservation status,” he added.
He further added that the species name pakhalica is derived from Pakhal Lake, a historic man-made reservoir built during the Kakatiya period, after which the surrounding area was later designated as a wildlife sanctuary.