Pogostemon anamudicum Sujanapal, Kanagaraj & Robi sp. nov. (Figs. 1, 2 & 3) Type:— INDIA. Kerala: Idukki distr., Eravikulam National Park, Anamudi hills, ± 2460 m, 10°10’24”N 77°03’57”E, 04 April 2025, M. Sumod, R. Kanagaraj & A. J. Robi 29301 (holotype, KFRI!; isotype, MH!). Diagnosis:— Pogostemon anamudicum is morphologically close to P. raghavendranii but differs by having hispid stem with 5-celled non-glandular trichomes (vs. puberulous with minute 1-celled glandular-trichomes), leaves elliptic with acute or obtuse base and acute to obtuse apex, hispid with 5-celled non-glandular-trichomes, short 4-celled trichomes (vs. ovate or orbicular, rounded to unequally subcordate base, acute to acuminate or obtuse apex, puberulous with minute 1-celled glandular-trichomes which is sparse, short 3-celled trichomes); calyx lobes narrowly triangular, shorter than tube, densely 5-celled non glandular trichomes outside, 10-nerved (vs. lobes linear, as long as tube or longer than tube, minutely 1-celled glandular trichomes outside, 5-nerved); corolla yellow (vs. pale green); ovary densely glandular (vs. glabrous) (Table 1). Description:—Shrubs, 1‒2 m high; stems branched, obtusely4-angled, strongly aromatic, slightly grooved, densely hispid when young, 5-celled non-glandular trichomes, glabrous when old. Leaves opposite, decussate; lamina elliptic, 1.8‒6 × 1.5‒4 cm, acute or obtuse at base, acute or obtuse at apex, double crenate at margin, glandular-punctuate and hispid on both surfaces, 5-celled non-glandular trichomes in both upper and lower surfaces; midrib raised adaxially, sunken abaxially; lateral nerves 4‒5 pairs, basal pair opposite, starting from the base of lamina, raised and prominent abaxially, impressed adaxially, branched towards margin, densely hispid, tertiary veins scalariform-reticulate; petioles 1‒3 cm long, slender, channeled above, densely hispid with 5-celled non-glandular trichomes. Inflorescence terminal unbranched spikes, 8‒10 cm long, verticillasters with few flowers, confluent; bracts lanceolate, 2‒4 mm long, obtuse, densely hispid with 5-celled non-glandular trichomes, margin ciliate; bracteoles filiform. Flowers deflexed, yellow; pedicel 1‒2 mm long, slender. Calyx tubular-campanulate, 6 × 4 mm, tube glabrous inside, densely hispid outside, 5-celled non-glandular trichomes, prominently 10-nerved, 5-lobed; lobes 1 mm long, narrowly triangular, shorter than tube, acuminate, equal, ciliate at margin, densely hispid adaxially and abaxially. Corolla bi-lipped, 8‒9 × 2‒3 mm, yellow, funnel-shaped, tube exerted; upper lip 3-lobed, c. 5 mm long, subequal, rounded; lobes glabrous inside, adaxially hispid towards apex; lower lip entire, c. 2 mm long, ovate-lanceolate, acute, veins conspicuous. Stamens 4, erect, equal, white; filaments 14‒18 mm long, adnate at equal heights at the middle of corolla tube, glabrous at middle, densely villous at base; anthers reniform, unilocular, creamy. Disc c. 1 mm long, glabrous. Ovary 1 mm, 4-partite, densely glandular at apex; style 18‒19 mm long, exerted, glabrous, slender; stigma deeply bifid at apex; lobes equal 1 mm long. Nutlets 4, orbicular, c. 0.05mm, with sessile glands at apex, shiny, brown. Phenology:—Flowering: January to April, fruiting: April to May. Distribution:—So far, known only from the type locality. Habitat:—Shola landscapes represent a unique mosaic of montane wet temperate forests and high altitude grasslands of the Western Ghats, occurring above 1,500m elevation. These ecosystems consist of grasslands occupying mountain ridges and evergreen, dwarf stature tree species. This new species occurs along the margins of Shola forests (Southern Montane Wet Temperate forests) of Western Ghats in Anamudi Hills, Eravikulam National Park, Kerala, India. It typically grows in association with species such as Berberis tinctoria Lesch., Rubus rugosus Sm., Helichrysum buddlejoides DC., Cissampelopsis walkeri (Arn.) C.Jeffrey & Y.L.Chen, Lobelia leschenaultiana (C.Presl) Skottsb., Litsea wightiana (Nees) Wall. ex Hook. f. and Pimpinella candolleana Wight & Arn. Etymology:―The new species is named after the type locality, Anamudi hills, which is the highest peak in the Western Ghats part of South India. Conservation status:—This new species is found in the shola forests of Anamudi hills in Eravikulam National Park of Kerala and grows as a small shrub between 2100 to 2500 m elevation. Further field explorations are essential to have a thorough knowledge on range of distribution, population size, and threats affecting the species, necessary to provide a correct assessment of status of the species. Hence, as per IUCN categories and criteria (IUCN 2024) the new species is herein categorized as ‘Data Deficient’ (DD).

Published as part of Ravichandran, Kanagaraj, Jose, Robi Aloor, Melakath, Sumod & Sujanapal, Puthiyapurayil, 2025, Pogostemon anamudicum (Lamiaceae): A new species from Sky Island of Kerala, India, pp. 114-120 in Phytotaxa 734 (1) on pages 114-119, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.734.1.10, http://zenodo.org/record/18424559