Eriocaulon madayiparense (Eriocaulaceae) – A new species from the foot hills of the Western Ghats of India

Abstract. Eriocaulon madayiparense Swapna, Rajesh, Manju & Prakashkumar, sp. nov. is described and illustrated from the Madayipara, a lateritic hillock in the midland of Kannur District of Kerala. The species is allied to Eriocaulon eurypeplon Koernicke, in its two free male and female sepals, female sepals being keeled and acute and not exceeding the floral bracts, acuminate leaf apex and setiform seed appendages appearing in vertical rows, but differs mainly in having yellow seeds with solitary appendage arising from transverse radial walls, curved and connate with the adjacent ones of the same vertical row forming longitudinal parallel ribs on the surface of the seeds.