Dicliptera leonotis Dalzell ex C.B.Clarke

Dicliptera leonotis Dalzell ex C.B.Clarke View in CoL in Hook.f., Fl. Brit. India 4(12): 553. 1885. Fig. 1 View Fig

Perennial herbs. Stems 1–1.5 m tall, branched, 5–6-angular, hairy. Leaves decussate; petioles 0.5–1.5 cm long; lamina membranous, 3–12 × 1–4.5 cm, lanceolate-elliptic to ovate, margins undulate, obtuse to acuminate at apex, attenuate at base, raphids irregularly arranged on both surfaces. Cymes umbellate, axillary or terminal, sessile to sub-sessile cluster. Flowers sessile, 1 to few in same bract; bracts 2, unequal to sub-equal, 9–12 × 2–3 mm, lanceolate, acuminate, cuspidate, attenuate at base, glandular pubescent, 3-nerved; bracteoles 1–2, 6.5–7 × 0.5–0.6 mm, linear, apex acute to obtuse, glandular pubescent. Sepals 5, fused at base, 5–6 × 0.5–0.6 mm, linear elliptic to linear ovate, obtuse at apex, glandular hairy. Corolla c. 1.5 cm long, bilabiate, hairy outside, dark pink; lips 6–7 mm long, oval to elliptic; upper lip 3-lobed, lower entire, orbicular. Stamens 2; filaments hairy, 6–8 mm long, pink; anthers two with unequal lobes, c. 2 mm long, dehisce through upper slits. Ovary c. 1.5 mm long; style slender, c. 12 mm long; stigma bifid. Capsules ovoid, 5.5–6 × 3–3.5 mm, mucronate at apex, glandular hairy, 4-seeded. Seeds orbicular, compressed, 2–2.5 × 2–2.5 mm, with black tubercles, glaucous.

Flowering & fruiting: November–February.

Habitat: Grows under forest shade at 1000m elevation along with Achyranthes coynei Santapau , Carissa carandas L., Elaeagnus conferta Roxb. , Olea dioica Roxb. , Oplismenus compositus (L.) P.Beauv., Solanum anguivi Lam. and Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels.

Distribution: Known only from the type locality.

Specimens examined: INDIA, Maharashtra, Nashik district, Tryambakeshwar, Anjaneri , 30.12.2017, S. S . Kambale & S. G . Auti 478 ( BSI!, CAL!); ibid., 14.01.2018, K. V. C . Gosavi , S. S . Kambale & S. G . Auti 479 ( BSI!, CAL!) .

Notes: Dicliptera leonotis resembles D. burmanni in having whorled spikes but differs in having acuminate, glandular bracts (vs mucronate, glabrous bracts). While from D. ciliata it differs in lacking cleistogamous flowers. D. leonotis differs from D. clinopodia in having pink flowers (vs purple flowers) and eglandular filaments (vs glandular filaments). D. micranthes has small white flowers and pubescent mucronate bracts (vs large pink flowers and glandular hairy bracts in D. leonotis ).