Andrographis saxatilis (Acanthaceae), a new woody species from the
Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India
Abstract
Andrographis saxatilis (Acanthaceae) new species is described and
illustrated from the rocky plateau of the Owk Dam area, Andhra Pradesh.
It is a perennial, woody undershrub. Unique characters are hispid hairy,
obovate, elliptic-oblong and oblanceolate leaves; lanceolate glandular
hairy sepals; empty (without flowers) bract and calyx towards base of
rachis. Andrographis saxatilis allied A. glandulosa Nees by its
perennial habit, woody rootstock in between rocks, glaucous green
leaves, hairy stem, attenuate and glandular hairs on sepals and corolla
tube outside. But it distinguished from the later by its hispid texture
(versus densely pubescent), obovate, elliptic-oblong, and oblanceolate
leaves (versus ovate-oblong), obtusely 4-angled stem (versus acutely
4-angled), hispid and glandular hairy sepals (versus villous with long
glandular hairs), boat-shaped upper lip of corolla (versus ligulate),
pubescent fruit (versus glabrous at base and glandular hairy towards the
tip). IUCN threat status of the species is assessed as ‘Data Deficient’
(DD) in this article.