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NORDIC JOURNAL OF
BOTANY
Nordic Journal of Botany
1
© 2022 Nordic Society Oikos. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Subject Editor: Ranee Prakash
Editor-in-Chief: Torbjörn Tyler
Accepted 24 March 2022
doi: 10.1111/njb.03345
1–4
Published 31 May 2022
2022: e03345
Lepidagathis mahakassapae sp. nov., a monocarpic and endemic species of Acanthaceae,
is described from Western Maharashtra, India. e new species is allied to L. sabui
from Konkan, Maharashtra, but differs by having oblanceolate acuminate leaves,
pubescent terminal elongated spikes, large floral but small sterile bracts and lanceolate
broader segment of the bracteole. e stems of L. mahakassapae grows up to 250 cm
in length while a few other prostrate species grows up to this length. Illustrations and
colour photographs are provided for ease of identification.
Keywords: Acanthaceae, biodiversity hotspot, endemic, Sahyadri, Satara
Introduction
Lepidagathis Willd. (Acanthaceae: Barlerieae) comprises about 142 species that are dis-
tributed across the tropical and subtropical regions of the world (POWO 2019). In
the last two decades alone, seven new species of Lepidagathis have been described from
India (Ramadevi and Binojkumar 2008, Jithin and Jose 2017, Natekar et al. 2019,
Biju et al. 2020, Borude et al. 2020, Chandore et al. 2020, Kothareddy and Reddy
2020). erefore, the genus is now represented by 29 species and eight varieties in
India, of which 19 species and two varieties are endemic (modified after Singh et al.
2015). e Western Ghats harbors about 26 species and two varieties of Lepidagathis
(modified after Nayar et al. 2014). In the Eastern Ghats, nine species have been
reported (Pullaiah et al. 2011).
While studying the flora of the high elevation lateritic plateaus of the northern
Western Ghats region of Maharashtra in December 2019, we collected specimens
of Lepidagathis in the vegetative stage from the Chalkewadi and Mhavashi plateau.
Flowering and fruiting specimens were collected later in March and April 2021. After
comparison with Lepidagathis material available in various herbaria viz., BLAT, CAL,
K and NY and referring to literature (Clarke 1892, Cooke 1908, Gamble 1923, Burkil
and Clarke 1899, Kameyama 2008) we concluded that our specimens belong to an
Lepidagathis mahakassapae sp. nov. (Acanthaceae: Barlerieae)
from the high elevated Lateritic Plateau of northern Western
Ghats of Maharashtra, India
Sushant More, Sharad Kambale, Mandar Sawant, Rohit Mane and Harshal Bhosale
S. More (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7712-7785) ✉ (sushantmore94@gmail.com), M. Sawant and H. Bhosale, Bombay Natural History Society,
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. SM also at: Parle Tilak Vidyalaya Association’s Sathaye College, Vile Parle, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. – S. Kambale
(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8230-7959), Maratha Vidya Prasarak Samaj’s Arts, Commerce & Science College, Tryambakeshwar, Maharashtra, India. –
R. Mane, Dept of Botany, Shivaji Univ., Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India.
Research
2
undescribed taxon. erefore, it is described here as the new
species Lepidagathis mahakassapae.
Material and methods
Specimens of Lepidagathis mahakassapae were collected in dif-
ferent stages from the plateaus of Satara district (Chalkewadi
and Mhavashi). For morphological comparison, the allied
species L. sabui Chandore et al. and other prostrate taxa, i.e.
L. clavata Dalzell, L. keralensis P.V. Madhusoodanan & N.P.
Singh, L. prostrata Dalzell and L. ushae Borude et al. were
collected and/or procured from type localities and other
reported localities from the coastal plains in Maharashtra,
Karnataka and Kerala. All specimens were processed accord-
ing to standard herbarium methods (Forman and Bridson
1991). Spikes, leaves, flowers and capsules from each speci-
men were stored in 70% alcohol. Taxonomic characters such
as bracts, bracteoles, capsules, seed number per capsule and
indumentum on floral parts were studied and documented
using a stereo zoom microscope with a camera.
Figure 1. Lepidagathis mahakassapae sp. nov. (A) Vegetative habit, (B) plant with spikes, (C) leaf, (D) single spike, (E) corolla with stamens
and style, (F) flower, (G) sepals, (H) style, (I) stigma, (K) didynamous stamens, (L) bract (upper surface and side view), (M) bracteoles, (N)
capsule, (O) seed. Illustration by Priyanka Ambavane. Based on SSM 173 and SSM 171.
3
Lepidagathis mahakassapae S. More, M. Sawant,
H.S. Bhosale & Kambale sp. nov. (Fig. 1, 2, 3)
Type: India, Maharashtra, Satara district, Chalkewadi
Plateau, WGS84, 17°35′06.4″N, 73°49′47.5″E, alt. 1141
m a.s.l., 8 Mar 2021; S. More, SSM 173, (holotype: CAL,
isotypes: BLAT).
A species similar to L. sabui, but differing by having oblan-
ceolate leaves with acuminate apex (versus linear leaves with
spinescent apex), terminal, rarely axillary, pubescent, 4–7
cm long, elongated spikes (versus glabrous, axillary, 2.0–2.8
cm long, compact, box-shaped spikes), minutely pubescent
bracts, large floral and small sterile bracts (versus glabrous
bracts, floral and sterile bracts alike), and broader segment
of bracteole lanceolate (versus broader segment of bracteole
oblanceolate) (Fig. 4).
Etymology
e specific epithet ‘mahakassapae’ honours Brahmana
Pippali Manav, later known as Mahakassapa, a prominent
Figure 2. Lepidagathis mahakassapae sp. nov. (A and B) Close up of spike, (C) corolla, (D) sepals, (F) bract, (E) bracteoles, (G) leaves show-
ing both surfaces, (H) vegetative twig with immature spikes in the axil, (I) stamens, (J) style with ovary, (K) stigma, (L) capsule, (M)
dehisced capsule with seed and retinaculum, (N) seed. Photos by Sushant More.
4
figure from ancient India and one of the principal disciples of
Buddha being foremost in ascetic practice.
Description
A perennial, decumbent, prostrate, sub-shrub. Roots
thick, woody. Stems creeping, up to 2.5 m long, glabrous,
branched; branchlets 15–20 cm long, acutely quadrangu-
lar, rooting at nodes; nodes swollen, minutely hairy, slightly
geniculate; internodes 1–2 cm long. Leaves opposite, sessile,
oblanceolate, glabrous, minutely warty; lamina 2.0–2.5 ×
0.4–0.6 cm, slightly recurved, acuminate at apex, attenuate
at base; veins in 4–5 pairs with midrib prominent beneath;
margin entire. Inflorescences as terminal and axillary spikes;
spikes dense, 4–7 cm long, elongated, each with 3–8 ses-
sile flowers, ascending. Flowers bracteate and bracteolate.
Bracts lanceolate, 1.5–1.9 × 0.4–0.6 cm, with entire margin,
slightly recurved, 7-nerved with parallel nerves, finely pubes-
cent on both sides but adaxially densely hairy at base, spi-
nous-pointed with spine 2 mm long. Lower bracts 9, small,
sterile. Bracteoles lateral, dimorphic with one broad and
the other conduplicate, lanceolate, 1.4 × 0.4 cm, 5-nerved,
finely pubescent with hairy margins, entire, spinous-pointed
at apex, with spine 1.5 mm long. Calyx 5-partite; sepals finely
pubescent inside and outside but with denser and ascend-
ing hairs inside, with entire margin; the 3 outer segments
unequal in length, spinous-pointed; upper segment 1.4 × 0.5
cm, ovate-lanceolate, 7-nerved; lower two segments connate
at base, 1.3 × 0.4 cm, lanceolate, 4–5 nerved; the two inner
lateral segments 1.0 × 0.2 cm, ensiform. Corolla bilabiate,
1.8–2.3 cm long; tube 5–6 mm long; sparsely hairy outside,
Figure 3. Lepidagathis mahakassapae sp. nov. (A) Flowering individual in summer, (B and C) flowering spikes, (D and E) vegetative stage in
Monsoon. Photos by Mandar Sawant and Sushant More.
5
dilated in the lower half, pinkish; upper lips 5 mm long,
notched, its lobes rounded with disrupted horizontal brown
lines within; lower lips of three unequal lobes, 5–6 mm long;
middle lobe longer, raised above the lateral lobes, spatulate to
orbicular; lateral two lobes elliptic. Stamens 4, didynamous;
filaments 5–9 mm long, white, blotched with pink spots at
the base, with short trichomes on the surface; anther lobes
2 mm long, unequally placed, at base with few trichomes.
Disc annular, nectariferous. Ovary ovoid, glabrous, 2 mm
long; styles slender, curved, ca 1.4 cm long, in its lower half
with intermixed simple and glandular hairs; stigmas minute,
shallowly two-lobed. Capsules turbinate, strongly four-sided
below, 8 × 3 mm, golden yellow, glabrous, acute at apex.
Seeds two, sometimes one abortive, fawn-coloured, 3.0–3.7
× 3.0 mm ovoid, with white hygroscopic hairs all over, trun-
cate at base, obtuse at apex.
Phenology
February to May (flowering and fruiting).
Distribution
Lepidagathis mahakassapae is distributed on the plateaus of Satara
district and is endemic to the state of Maharashtra (Fig. 5).
Habitat and associates
Lepidagathis mahakassapae grows on high altitude lateritic pla-
teaus between 700 and 1155 m a.s.l., in association with Ceropegia
jainii M.Y.Ansari & B.G.Kulk. (Apocynaceae), Habenaria
Figure 4. Lepidagathis mahakassapae sp. nov. (A) Spike, (C) bract, (E) bracteoles, (H) opened capsule, (J) seed, (L) leaf. L. sabui Chandore
et al., (B) spikes, (D) bract, (F) bracteoles, (G) vegetative habit, (I) opened capsule, (K) seed, (M) leaf. Photos – Sushant More, Arun
Chandore.
6
heyneana Lindl. (Orchidaceae), Indigofera dalzellii T.Cooke.
(Fabaceae), Jansenella griffithiana (C.Muell.) Bor (Poaceae) and
Impatiens lawii Hook.f. & omson. (Balsaminaceae).
IUCN conservation status
e extent of occurrence (EOO) of Lepidagathis mahakassa-
pae sp. nov. is 49 857 km2 (Criterion B1) measured with the
help of a convex hull polygon. e area of occupancy (AOO)
is 20 000 km2 (Criterion B2) as calculated with a 2 × 2 km
cell grid using the GeoCAT tool (Bachman 2011). reats
to the species include large-scale wind turbine installation,
which has destroyed most of the original habitat on the pla-
teau. e population of the new species may also be threat-
ened by human-induced fires on the Plateau. At present this
species is known only from two locations (sub criterion a).
Due to habitat destruction, there is a decline in the quality of
habitat (sub criterion b–iii); hence, this species is here assessed
as Endangered B1ab(iii)+2ab(iii) (IUCN 2019, ver. 14).
Notes
Lepidagathis mahakassapae is similar to L. sabui in having
lateral (inner) two sepals non-spinous, dimorphic bracteoles
and seed surface with hygroscopic hairs. However, the former
differs from the latter in the characters mentioned in the diag-
nosis. In L. mahakassapae leaves and flowers never appears
together. L. mahakassapae may appear glabrous superficially,
but a closer look reveals that spikes are minutely pubescent
throughout.
Specimens (paratypes)
India, Maharashtra, Satara district, Chalkewadi Plateau,
WGS84, 17°35′08.2″N, 73°48′51.3″E; alt. 1148 m a.s.l., 24
Dec 2019, S. More, SSM 171 (BLAT); ibid, 9 Oct 2020, S.
More, SSM 172 (BLAT); ibid, 12 Mar 2021, S. More, SSM
174 (BLAT).
India, Maharashtra, Satara district, Patan taluka, Mhavashi
plateau, WGS84, 17°27′10.2″N, 73°51′17.8″E; alt. 728 m
a.s.l., 10 Mar 2021, R. Mane, RNM 302 (SUK).
Acknowledgements – SM thanks Dr Manek Mistry, Mumbai for
reviewing the manuscript draft. We thank Shripad Halbe of Brihad
Bharatiya Samaj for funding the fieldwork. We are grateful to
the authorities of Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai for
the library and laboratory facilities. We are thankful to Dr Arun
Chandore (Rajapur) and Mr Devidas Borude for all the fruitful
Figure 5. Map showing the extent of the Chalkewadi and Mhavashi Plateau (in pink), type localities of Lepidagathis mahakassapae.
7
discussions on the identity of Lepidagathis. anks, are due to Mrs
Priyanka Ambavane for the botanical illustrations. We also thank
Mr Rohan Bhagat, Mr Chaitanya Bhosale, Mr Amod Zambre, Mr
Amit Sayyad and Biju Punnakot for their help in this research.
Funding – Shripad Halbe, Brihad Bharti Samaj Funded the Project
‘Assessing the endemic plant biodiversity of the high elevation
plateaus of northern Western Ghats’.
Author contributions
Sushant More: Conceptualization (lead); Data cura-
tion (equal); Formal analysis (equal); Investigation (lead);
Methodology (lead); Resources (equal); Supervision (lead);
Validation (equal); Visualization (equal); Writing – original
draft (lead); Writing – review and editing (equal). Sharad
Kambale: Conceptualization (equal); Data curation (equal);
Investigation (equal); Supervision (lead); Validation (lead);
Visualization (equal). Mandar Sawant: Data curation (equal);
Methodology (equal). Rohit Mane: Data curation (equal);
Investigation (equal); Methodology (equal); Resources (equal).
Harshal Bhosale: Funding acquisition (lead); Methodology
(equal); Project administration (lead); Resources (lead).
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