Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary yields new flowering plant species
HYDERABAD: Scientists from the Botanical Survey of India have identified a new species of flowering plant in Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary, Mahbubabad district. The species, named Dicliptera pakhalica, belongs to the Acanthaceae family and was formally described in the international botanical journal Brittonia on January 29.
Found during floristic surveys in Gangaram Range
The discovery was made during floristic surveys in the Pandem East Beat of the Gangaram Range. The research team comprised Botanical Survey of India scientist L Rasingam, botanist P Harikrishna, research scholar A Parthiban and forest divisional officer V Chandra Sekhara Rao. The plant was located along stream banks and rocky stretches near waterfalls within the sanctuary.
Distinct traits confirm it as separate species
Researchers said Dicliptera pakhalica closely resembles Dicliptera parvibracteata, reported from parts of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. However, detailed examination of field specimens, herbarium material and published literature revealed key differences, including adpressed deflexed hairs on the stem, unkeeled bracts, absence of glandular hairs on flowers and fruits, an obovoid capsule and spiny seeds, confirming it as a distinct species.
The genus Dicliptera is among the most species-rich in the Acanthaceae family, with over 220 species worldwide. India has recorded 29 taxa so far. The latest finding further underlines Telangana’s significance as a centre of plant diversity within the Eastern Ghats landscape.
Field observations show the species flowers between November and January, with fruiting from December to March. It grows alongside native plants such as Tarenna asiatica, Eranthemum purpurascens, Ruellia prostrata and Mallotus philippensis.
Speaking to TNIE, Rasingam said the species is currently known only from its type locality in Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary. “Extensive surveys carried out between 2023 and 2025 in nearby areas did not record it elsewhere. Given the limited information on its distribution, the species has been classified as ‘Data Deficient’ under International Union for Conservation of Nature guidelines,” he said.
He added that the name pakhalica is derived from Pakhal Lake, a historic man-made reservoir built during the Kakatiya period, after which the surrounding area was later notified as a wildlife sanctuary.
