Thismia aurantiaca, Hareesh & Alappatt & Sabu, 2018

Hareesh, V. S., Alappatt, J. P. & Sabu, M., 2018, Thismia aurantiaca sp. nov. (section Rodwaya, Thismiaceae): First record of the family from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India with a new species, Blumea 63 (2), pp. 135-139 : 138

Key to the species of Thismia in India

1. Tepals greenish yellow, densely silky puberulent outside, mitre with single opening and brownish hypanthium......................................... T. sahyadrica

1. Tepals orange, glabrous on both surfaces, mitre with three openings and white hypanthium with orange ribs.................................... T. aurantiaca sp. nov.

Acknowledgments We are grateful to the Department of Science and Technology (New Delhi) for the financial assistance for the research project (Sanction No. SERB / SB / SO /PS/92/2013, dtd. 09.07.2014).VSH is grateful to the International Association for Plant Taxonomy for the ‘ IAPT Research Grant 2017’. Thanks are also due to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests ( Wildlife ), Department of Environment and Forest , Andaman and Nicobar Islands for granting permission and providing necessary assistance for the field studies in the forest: Mr. Dileep, Port Blair for various support rendered during our expedition to various places in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands ; S. Chantanaorrapint , Prince of Songkla University , Thailand and M. S. Nuraliev , Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Center, Vietnam for critical comments on the identity of the new species .