Uniyala keralensis: A Newly Identified Plant Species

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A dense shrub with light purple flowers found in the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve in Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram district has been confirmed as a distinct species of the genus Uniyala.
Researchers have named the new species, which is endemic to southwest India, Uniyala keralensis (family Asteraceae) after the State of Kerala.

Discovery and Research

The plant was first collected in 1998 by E.S. Santhosh Kumar and S.M. Shareef at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI), Palode, during field exploration.
More specimens were gathered from different parts of the biosphere reserve in subsequent years.
Initially, the shrub was thought to be Vernonia multibracteata.
Later, the genus Uniyala was separated from Vernonia and classified as a new genus.
Further studies and comparisons with herbarium specimens confirmed it as a distinct species.
The findings have been published in the journal Phytotaxa.

Physical Characteristics

Uniyala keralensis is a small to large shrub, growing up to 1 to 3 metres in height.
It has attractive light purple florets.
Compared to Uniyala comorinensis and Uniyala salviifolia, it has:
- Larger leaves
- Fairly long petioles (slender stalk joining the leaf to the stem)
- Fewer lateral veins on the leaves
Flowering and fruiting occur from August to April.

Habitat and Distribution

Found in open areas of the western mountain slopes of the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve (ABR).
Located at elevations ranging between 700 to 1,400 metres.
The present population consists of nearly 5,000 individuals of various ages.
Four subpopulations occupy an area of 250 km².

Conservation Status

Assessed as Data Deficient (DD) under the IUCN Red List Criteria (IUCN 2024).

About the Genus Uniyala