taxonID	type	description	language	source
03DC87C8FFE69C25ADCEC31FFBFA7A84.taxon	diagnosis	The new species resembles Lagenandra ovata (L.) Thwaites and L. toxicaria var. barnesii C. E. C. Fischer but differs from L. ovata by its longer peduncle (15 – 18 cm vs. 3 – 8 cm), smooth spathe (vs. coarsely warted), and spathe coloration (greenish-pink to yellowish-green vs. deep purple). It has a spadix (3.8 – 4.2 cm vs. 3 – 5 cm) with a tapering appendix (6 – 7 mm vs. 0.2 – 0.3 mm). It differs from L. toxicaria var. barnesii by its longer peduncle (15 – 18 cm vs. 1 – 11 cm), spathe coloration (greenish-pink to yellowish-green vs. entirely greenish-pink), and longer spadix (3.8 – 4.2 cm vs. 1.8 – 2 cm) with a well-developed appendix (6 – 7 mm vs. ~ 0.5 mm). Unlike L. toxicaria var. barnesii, it lacks placental hairs in female flowers.	en	Pushkaran, Pooja, Venugopal, Mithun, Narayanan, Matalayi Kokarambath Ratheesh, Sunil, Chandrasseril Narayanan (2025): Lagenandra pradeepiana, a new species of aroid from Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 730 (2): 199-207, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7
03DC87C8FFE69C25ADCEC31FFBFA7A84.taxon	materials_examined	Type: — INDIA: Kerala: Wayanad district, Madakkimala, 800 m asl. 23 September 2023, Pooja & Mithun MBGH 7771 [holotype MBGH! (MBGH 7771), isotype MBGH! (MBGH 7771 a)].	en	Pushkaran, Pooja, Venugopal, Mithun, Narayanan, Matalayi Kokarambath Ratheesh, Sunil, Chandrasseril Narayanan (2025): Lagenandra pradeepiana, a new species of aroid from Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 730 (2): 199-207, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7
03DC87C8FFE69C25ADCEC31FFBFA7A84.taxon	description	Rhizomatous creeping erect evergreen herbs. Rhizome 2 ‒ 3 cm across; pale brown in colour; roots scarce. Leaves with semi-circular petiole, 36 ‒ 45 cm long, 0.5 ‒ 0.7 cm diam., basally sheathing for 10.5 ‒ 18.5 cm; lamina 11.5 ‒ 19.5 cm long, 6 ‒ 11.5 cm broad, ovate-elliptic, acute to shortly acuminate at apex, base oblique-cordate, margin scalloped, usually dark green, glabrous, venation parallel. Inflorescence 22 ‒ 28 cm long, peduncle 15 ‒ 18 cm long, 1 ‒ 2 cm diam., spathe 12 ‒ 13 cm long, outer surface smooth, kettle broader than the limb, greenish-pink in colour outside, reddish with darker vertical ridges within, 3.0 ‒ 3.2 cm long, 1.8 ‒ 2.1 cm diam. Limb 3.0 ‒ 3.5 cm long, 2.0 ‒ 2.4 cm across, yellowish-green, broad, closed with broadly curve-edged upper part, regularly oriented, deep red inside, densely fimbriate ridges within. Tail caudate sub globular, greenish; curved trunk, 6.0 ‒ 6.5 cm long. Reddish linear striations extended from limb to tip. Spadix 3.8 ‒ 4.2 cm long, with pistillate flower zone at base, followed by a slender barren interstice of 1.4 ‒ 1.8 cm long, a staminate flower zone terminating with elongated tapering pointed appendix. Pistillate zone comprises 93 – 95 female flowers, closely oriented forming a sub-cylindric mass, each flower sessile, ca. 2 mm long, 2 mm broad, truncate, muricate on the outside on the upper half. Ovary unilocular with 9 ‒ 11 orthotropous ovules without placental hairs; stigma sessile, hexagonal with slightly raised central portion. Numerous yellow, clavate neuter flowers present just above the pistillate portion around the base of the interstice and two on the interstice below the staminate portion. Staminate portion conoid-spherical and with 110 – 118 sessile male flowers, 0.7 ‒ 1.0 mm high, each theca with a short apical horn-like tube through which pollen grains liberate out. Spadix-appendix ca. 6 ‒ 7 mm, oblique-conical with apical tapering pointed tip. Pollens viable. No fruit and seed set observed (Fig. 3).	en	Pushkaran, Pooja, Venugopal, Mithun, Narayanan, Matalayi Kokarambath Ratheesh, Sunil, Chandrasseril Narayanan (2025): Lagenandra pradeepiana, a new species of aroid from Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 730 (2): 199-207, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7
03DC87C8FFE69C25ADCEC31FFBFA7A84.taxon	discussion	Notes: — Lagenandra pradeepiana is a unique erect rhizomatous species with distinct leaf morphology, peduncle length, spathe coloration, and floral characteristics. It resembles L. ovata in its rhizome with scarce fibrous roots, semicircular petiole, and broadly acute leaf apices. However, L. pradeepiana differs in its ovate-elliptic leaves with scalloped margins, oblique-cordate leaf base, longitudinal parallel venation, and a significantly longer peduncle (10 – 15 cm vs. 3 – 8 cm). The spathe of L. pradeepiana has distinct color zones — greenish-pink at the base, yellowish-green in the middle, and greenish at the apex — while L. ovata has a uniformly deep purple, rough-textured spathe. The spadix of L. pradeepiana (3.8 – 4.2 cm) has a well-developed tapering appendix (6 – 7 mm), whereas L. ovata has a stunted, pyramid-like appendix (0.2 – 0.3 mm). L. pradeepiana also has more ovules per ovary (9 – 11) than L. ovata (2 – 3), despite L. ovata having a higher male flower count. Lagenandra pradeepiana also resembles L. toxicaria var. barnesii in its oblique leaf base, petiole length, and spadix structure. However, the L. pradeepiana has an erect creeping rhizome (2 – 3 cm diameter) with scarce fibrous roots, while L. toxicaria var. barnesii has a creeping or procumbent rhizome (1.5 – 5.0 cm) with abundant fibrous roots. L. pradeepiana has ovate-elliptic leaves with scalloped margins and longitudinal parallel venation, whereas L. toxicaria var. barnesii has oblong leaves with repand margins and pinnately parallel venation. The peduncle of L. pradeepiana (10 – 15 cm) is much longer than that of L. toxicaria var. barnesii (2 – 5 cm). The spathe of L. pradeepiana has distinct color variations, and has a longer spadix (3.8 – 4.2 cm vs. 1.8 – 2.0 cm) with a well-developed appendix. It also has more ovules per ovary (9 – 11 vs. 4 – 7) and lacks the placental hairs present in L. toxicaria var. barnesii.	en	Pushkaran, Pooja, Venugopal, Mithun, Narayanan, Matalayi Kokarambath Ratheesh, Sunil, Chandrasseril Narayanan (2025): Lagenandra pradeepiana, a new species of aroid from Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 730 (2): 199-207, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7
03DC87C8FFE69C25ADCEC31FFBFA7A84.taxon	etymology	Etymology: — The species is named in honour of Dr. N. S. Pradeep, Principal Scientist, KSCSTE-Malabar Botanical Garden and Institute for Plant Sciences, Kozhikode, Kerala, for his valuable contributions to plant biodiversity conservation.	en	Pushkaran, Pooja, Venugopal, Mithun, Narayanan, Matalayi Kokarambath Ratheesh, Sunil, Chandrasseril Narayanan (2025): Lagenandra pradeepiana, a new species of aroid from Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 730 (2): 199-207, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7
03DC87C8FFE69C25ADCEC31FFBFA7A84.taxon	biology_ecology	Phenology: — Flowering from early September with peak in May.	en	Pushkaran, Pooja, Venugopal, Mithun, Narayanan, Matalayi Kokarambath Ratheesh, Sunil, Chandrasseril Narayanan (2025): Lagenandra pradeepiana, a new species of aroid from Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 730 (2): 199-207, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7
03DC87C8FFE69C25ADCEC31FFBFA7A84.taxon	distribution	Habitat, distribution and biotic association: — The new species grows in a seasonal stream at Madakkimala, Wayanad district, Kerala, India, at an elevation of 800 MSL. It is found in association with Floscopa scandens Loureiro (1790: 193), Commelina diffusa Burman (1768: 18), Ludwigia peruviana (Linnaeus 1753: 118) Hara (1953: 293), Centella asiatica (Linnaeus 1763: 1393) Urban in Martius & Eichler (1879: 287), Colocasia esculenta (Linnaeus 1753: 965) Schott (1832: 18), Cynodon dactylon (Linnaeus 1753: 58) Persoon (1805: 85), Myriophyllum oliganthum (Wight & Arnott 1834: 337) Mueller (1876: 54), Hygrophila schulli (Buchanan-Hamilton 1825: 355) Almeida & Almeida (1987: 221), Alternanthera philoxeroides (Martius 1826: 56) Grisebach (1879: 36), Thelypteris dentata (Forsskal 1775: 185) St. John (1936: 44), and Ceratopteris thalictroides (Linnaeus 1753: 1078) Brongniart (1821: 186). The species occurs in highly fragmented populations within a narrow distribution range along the stream. The population is under pressure from habitat destruction caused by agricultural expansion and developmental activities.	en	Pushkaran, Pooja, Venugopal, Mithun, Narayanan, Matalayi Kokarambath Ratheesh, Sunil, Chandrasseril Narayanan (2025): Lagenandra pradeepiana, a new species of aroid from Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 730 (2): 199-207, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7
03DC87C8FFE69C25ADCEC31FFBFA7A84.taxon	conservation	Conservation Status: — Lagenandra pradeepiana is currently known only from its type locality, with an estimated Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and Area of Occupancy (AOO) of 4 km ². Based on Criterion B, the species meets the thresholds for Critically Endangered (CR) under sub-criteria B 1 and B 2 due to its limited EOO (<100 km ²) and AOO (<10 km ²). The species’ habitat, a tropical evergreen forest, is continuously declining due to torrential rainfall and fast water flows, likely exacerbated by climate change. The population has diminished since the initial field visit, and the presence of a nearby concrete road and culvert poses a significant threat to the population’s survival. Potential road expansion could lead to complete habitat loss. Given the decline in habitat, area of occupancy, number of locations, and population size, L. pradeepiana qualifies under sub-criteria (a) and (b). With a population size of approximately 55 individuals, the species also qualifies for the Endangered (EN) category under Criterion D. However, following IUCN guidelines, the highest threatened category is recommended when a taxon qualifies under multiple categories. Therefore, L. pradeepiana is assessed as Critically Endangered (CR) under criterion B, specifically CR B 1 ab (ii, iii, iv, v) + 2 ab (ii, iii, iv, v). Urgent ex-situ conservation measures are necessary to prevent its extinction.	en	Pushkaran, Pooja, Venugopal, Mithun, Narayanan, Matalayi Kokarambath Ratheesh, Sunil, Chandrasseril Narayanan (2025): Lagenandra pradeepiana, a new species of aroid from Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 730 (2): 199-207, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7
03DC87C8FFE69C25ADCEC31FFBFA7A84.taxon	materials_examined	Additional specimen examined (Paratype): — INDIA. Kerala. Wayanad district, MBGIPS Garden (introduced from Madakkimala), 2 April 2024 (with flowers), Pooja 020427 (Paratype KFRI!).	en	Pushkaran, Pooja, Venugopal, Mithun, Narayanan, Matalayi Kokarambath Ratheesh, Sunil, Chandrasseril Narayanan (2025): Lagenandra pradeepiana, a new species of aroid from Western Ghats, India. Phytotaxa 730 (2): 199-207, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7, URL: https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.730.2.7
