Hemigraphis hirta (Vahl) T. Anders. (Acanthaceae): A New Record for C.N. Sunil1 and V.V. Naveen Kumar2

Abstract Hemigraphis hirta (Vahl) T. Anders. is reported for the first time from Kerala. Detailed description and illustrations are provided.

During the course of floristic studies in District of Kerala, the authors came across an interesting species of Hemigraphis in unused lands of Ernakulam. A detailed study with all necessary literature, it is identified as Hemigraphis hirta (Vahl) T. Anders.

The genus Hemigraphis Nees. has about 90 species (Mabberley, 2008) mostly distributed in tropical regions of the world. Hemigraphis hirta (Vahl) T. Anders. is so far known only from Tropical Himalaya and . In India, this species was first reported from West Bengal. Hence the occurrence of this plant in , Fort and Nettoor of of Kerala forms a new distributional record for the state of Kerala. A detailed description, illustrations and relevant notes are provided for easy identification of the species. The specimens have been deposited in the herbaria of S.N.M. College, Maliankara.

Hemigraphis hirta (Vahl) T. Anders., Journ. Linn. Soc. 9: 462. 1867; Clarke in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 4: 422. 1884; Gamble Fl. Pres. Madras 1018. 1924; Fig 1. Hemigraphis hirta (Vahl) T. Anders. A- Habit; B- Single leaf; C- Karthikeyan, Sanjappa & Moorthy, Single flower; D- Calyx; E- Corolla split open; F- Pistil; G- Capsule, H- Capsule after dehiscence; I- Seed; J- A portion of stem Fl. Pl. India (Dicotyledons) 1: 19. 2009. Ruellia hirta Vahl, Symb. Bot. 3: 84, t.67. 1794; Roxb., Fl. acute or obtuse, strigose; petiole without, adpressed hairy inside; Ind. 3: 46. 1832. Ruellia to 1 cm long. Flowers sessile, in fruiting calyx 10–12 × ca 1.5 mm. sarmentosa Nees, Wall. Pl. As. Rar. terminal bracteate heads or Corolla purple; tube 11–13 mm 3: 83. 1832. spikes. Bracts imbricate, outer long, narrow and slender below leafy, upto 15 × 10 mm, ovate or and companulate above; lobes 5, Prostrate herbs, with trailing elliptic, strigose, inner bracts smaller. Calyx 5- partite; tube ca 3 branches; stem strigose. Leaves 1&2Dept. of P.G Studies and Research 1.5-6 × 1.2-3.5 cm, orbicular or mm long; lobes unequal 2.5–4 × in Botany, S.N.M. College, Maliankara ovate-elliptic, base cuneate, ca 1 mm, linear, obtuse or acute at P.O, Ernakulam District, Kerala. margins serrate or crenate, apex apex, 1- nerved, green, hirsute Email: [email protected]

ZOO’s PRINT, Volume XXXI, Number 5, May 2016 6 twisted in bud, 3-4 × 4-5 mm, orbicular with wavy margins, pubescent without. Stamens 4, didynamous; longer filaments 2-3 mm long, shorter 1-1.5 mm long, sparsely hairy; anthers purple, 1– 1.5 mm long. Ovary 1.5–2 × 0.5– 0.75 mm, linear-oblong, glandular hairy at the top; style 8-10 mm long, linear, white, glandular hairy at the base; stigma 2-lobed, one lobe linear, ca 2 mm long, the other short. Capsule 7–9 × 2–2.5 mm, linear or linear-oblong, shortly beaked, glandular hairy when young; retinacula straight, ca 1 mm long. Seeds 8–12 per capsule, 1.7–2 mm across, discoid, straw or wheat grain coloured, Fig 2. Hemigraphis hirta hygroscopically hairy.

Specimens examined: Kerala, Ernakulam Dt., Nettoor (C.N. Sunil- 5967 Willingdon Island (C.N. Sunil- 5895).

Flowering & Fruiting: Jan–May.

Distribution: Tropical Himalaya and India.

Acknowledgements The authors are thankful to University Grants Commission, New Delhi for the financial assistance and to Mr. V.B. Sajeev, N. Paravur for preparing the illustrations.

Reference Mabberley, D.J. (2008). Mabberley’s Plant- Book: A Portable Dictionary of Plants, their classification and uses. Third Edition. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 335 pp.

Fig 3. Herbarium specimen of Hemigraphis hirta

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