Lepidagathis dalzelliana - Maharashtra Lepidagathis

Maharashtra Lepidagathis is a prostrate sub-shrub 30-60 cm long, much branched; stems bluntly four-edged, minutely hairy or hairless. Leaves are opposite, stalkless, broadly inverted-lanceshaped to ovate-lanceshaped, 3-5.5 x 1.5-3.2 cm, tip pointed, base narrowed, margin entire, subtly fringed with hairs, hairless. Flowers are borne in spikes in leaf-axils or at branch-ends, elongated or pyramidal shaped, 3-4 cm long. Flowers are two-lipped, 1.5-1.8 cm long, tube 5-6 mm long, sparsely hairy above; dilated in the lower half, light pinkish to pale yellow. Upper lips 5 mm long, notched, lobes rounded. The lower lips of three unequal lobes, 5-6 mm long. Middle lobe longer, lateral two smaller, elliptic. Sepals are five, densely hairy, margin entire; the three outer sepals unequal in length, tip spiny, the upper 2 x 0.5 cm, ovate-lanceshaped, 4-5 nerved; lower two fused at base, 1.6 x 0.4 cm, ovate-lanceshaped, 3-4 nerved; the inner two lateral sepals 1.4 x 0.3-0.4 cm, sword-shaped. Styles are slender, curved, about 1.7 cm long. Flowers are few, stalkless, bracteate, bracteolate. Floral bracts lanceshaped, 2.5-3 x 0.5-0.8 cm, densely hairy on both sides, 3-5 parallel nerves, margin entire, tip spiny. Lower bracts are ovate to ovate-lanceshaped, sterile, about 3.5-3.9 x 0.8-1 cm long glandular-hairy, leaf-like, tip spiny. Capsules are top-shaped, 10 x 4 mm, hairless, pointed at tip, seeds two. Maharashtra Lepidagathis is endemic to Maharashtra. Flowering: November-April.