Impatiens neo-uncinata: a frontal view of the flower
| Photo Credit: Special association
A small plant with enticing milky-white flowers with pink stripes found within the Western Ghats has now been recognized as a uncommon, wild cousin of the favored garden balsam.
Researchers stumbled upon the herb throughout a floristic survey within the Agasthyamala biosphere reserve in Thiruvananthapuram district. They initially took it for Impatiens uncinata, a acquainted species of the genus Impatiens, to which the garden balsams additionally belong.
But a nearer look had prompted a detailed scientific research, which finally resulted within the plant being labelled a new species of Impatiens (household Balsaminaceae).
S. Arya, assistant professor, PG and Research Department of Botany, PSG College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, and V.S. Anil Kumar, Principal, Government College, Kasaragod, who have been instrumental in its discovery and identification have named it Impatiens neo-uncinata.
Impatiens neo-uncinata
| Photo Credit:
Special association
A paper written by them within the scientific journal Phytotaxa highlights the herb’s serendipitous discovery, its distinguishing traits and botanical significance. What makes Impatiens neo-uncinata particular is that it has been reported solely from a single locality at an elevation starting from 1,000 to 1,250 m, and that too in a only a few numbers.
Its distant location and low inhabitants have prompted the researchers to advocate that or not it’s categorised as ‘Endangered’ utilizing IUCN standards.
On nearer examination
The researchers had observed the plant rising close to streams and wetlands. “We initially took it for Impatiens unicinata, as there were morphological similarities. But the differences soon became evident when the plant was subjected to a closer examination,” Dr. Arya mentioned.
“The new Impatiens population can be easily distinguished from the field by snowy white flowers with red stripes and comparatively large flowers. Detailed study of specimens showed that it was different from all other known species of Impatiens and consequently described here as a species new to science,” their paper in Phytotaxa mentioned.
While Impatiens neo-uncinata bears morphological resemblances to Impatiens uncinata, it differs from the latter within the dimension of the flowers, basal and distal lobes, the dorsal petal and pollen. Size-wise, Impatiens neo-uncinata is a herb that grows up to 20 cm in peak, with easy or branched stems. It grows in open areas of evergreen forests, notably wetlands. Flowering and fruiting happens from August to December.
The genus Impatiens has over 1000 species distributed within the tropics and sub-tropics. In India, the Himalayan and the north-eastern areas account for the best variety of Impatiens. The southern arm of the Western Ghats stands second in that respect.