Impatiens parvifolia Beddome (1859: 66)

Anirudhan, Anitha Melesuparambil, Mani, Bince, Gnanasekaran, Gunadayalan & Thomas, Sinjumol, 2023, Rediscovery of Impatiens parvifolia and reinstatement of I. omissa (Balsaminaceae) in India, Phytotaxa 589 (3), pp. 269-277 : 274-276

Impatiens parvifolia Beddome (1859: 66) . ( Figures 4–5 )

Lectotype:— INDIA. Tamilnadu: Anamallay [Anamalai] Hills, 8000 ft., s.d., Beddome s.n. ( K000683311 , image!), designated by Singh (2016).

Annual, erect or straggling herbs up to 30 cm long; stem more or less quadrangular, pale green, canaliculated, pubescent at nodes; extra-floral nectary absent. Leaves opposite or alternate; petiole 5–20 mm long, channeled above; blade elliptic or lance-ovate, 12–26 × 6–10 mm, base cuneate, apex narrowly acute, margin serrate, adaxial surface pubescent, abaxial surface glabrous, midrib distinct, basally 1-ribbed, lateral veins prominent. Inflorescence 4–9 cm long pedunculate sub-umbels or racemes. Bracts linear, ca. 2 mm long, pale green. Flowers 3–7 in each peduncle, 10–15 mm across, white to pink; pedicel 1–3 cm long, pale green, glabrous; lateral sepals 2, ca. 2 × 1 mm, ovate, glabrous; dorsal petal 4–6 × 3–5mm, suborbicular, glabrous, dorsally keeled, mucronate; lateral united petals 2-lobed, 9–12 × 6–8 mm, glabrous, white or pink; basal lobe ca. 2 × 1 mm, oblong; distal lobe 9–12 × 6–8 mm, triangular, entire; dorsal auricle not prominent, or rarely short and acute; lower sepal 4–4.5 × ca. 3 mm, boat-shaped, glabrous, apex acute; spur obscure or short and blunt, glabrous; Stamens 5, cohering above pistil; column ca. 1.5 × 1 mm, slightly curved; filaments 5, white, anthers red. Pistil ca. 1 × 1 mm; ovary narrowly oblong, glabrous; style rudimentary; stigma 5-toothed. Capsule ellipsoid, 4–6 × ca. 3 mm, glabrous, green; seeds less than 7 in number, ca. 2 × 1.5 mm, broadly ovate, pubescent, brown.

Phenology: —September to December.

Habitat and distribution: —Grows on wet and dripping rocks in evergreen forests and grassland margins at an elevation of 1600–2175 m in Anamalai hills. It grows in association with Pouzolzia sp. , Selaginella sp. , Utricularia sp. , mosses and grasses. This species is hitherto known only from Tamil Nadu, however in the present study it has also been collected from the Kerala part of the Anamalai hills, thus it is reported here as a new record to the state of Kerala.

Taxonomic Notes: —As evidenced from the illustrations of its floral parts on the sheet, Beddome (1859) might have used Beddome s.n. (1861) for describing I. parvifolia . He had also glued a separate dissection of the floral parts on the same sheet. We compared the freshly dissected floral parts with the above and it matched well. However, one of the most notable differences from the Beddome’s collection from our fresh collections was that of solitary flowers versus subumbellate or racemose inflorescences. Beddome corrected this while emending I. parvifolia in his Icones Plantarum Indiae Orientalis ( Beddome 1874) , stating that the inflorescence is umbellately or sub-racemosely flowered, and the same character had been provided in his illustrations. Further, he also corrected the alternate leaf arrangements as given in protologue to opposite or alternate ( Beddome 1874). Therefore, based on the detailed study of type specimens and fresh materials, a revised description for I. parvifolia is presented here.

Specimens examined:— INDIA. Tamil Nadu: Anamally hills, Beddome s.n., 1861 ( K000683311 , image!); June 1859, Beddome 49 ( CAL0000005090 , image!); Anamalai Hills, Konalar, 16 Feb 1980, Chandrabose 65819 ( MH!) ; 18 Nov 1980, Chandrabose 69028 ( MH!) ; Anamalai hills, Valparai , 08 Sept 2013, Bince and Pradeep 68961 ( RHT!) ; Akkamalai , 05 Jan 2023, Anitha 68964 ( RHT!) . Kerala: Idukki district, Munnar, near Vellavarakudy , 27 Aug 2021, Anitha and Bince 68962 ( RHT!) .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Impatiens parvifolia: A. Habit of upright populations, B. Habit of semi-erect populations.

FIGURE 5. Impatiens parvifolia: A–B. Inflorescence, C. Lateral sepals, D–E. Lower sepal, F. Dorsal petal, G–H. Lateral united petal, I. Pistil and stamen, J. Fruit, K. Seeds.