Impatiens parkinsonii C.E.C.Fisch.

Smets, E. F. & Janssens, S. B., 2018, Balsaminaceae of Myanmar, Blumea 63 (3), pp. 199-267 : 242-243

45. Impatiens parkinsonii C.E.C.Fisch. — Map 16

Impatiens parkinsonii C.E.C.Fisch. (1926) 467; W.J. Kress et al. (2003) 170; Gogoi et al. (2015a) 383. — Type: Parkinson 407 (lecto, designated in Gogoi et al. (2015a) K K000694778; isolecto K K000694779), Myanmar, Myitkyina district, Namti Chaung Feeder, 11 Dec. 1925.

Impatiens hukaungensis J.Murata & Nob.Tanaka in Tanaka et al. (2018) 23, syn. nov. — Type: Jin Murata et al. 040920 (holo TI not seen; iso MBK not seen, RAF not seen), Myanmar, Kachin State, west of Shinbweyan, Tanai Township, Myitkyina district , N26°41ʹ44 ʺ-57ʺ E96°11ʹ13 ʺ-23ʺ, 200–250 m alt., 8 Dec. 2005.

Perennial herb, 15–30 cm tall. Stem erect, but decumbent in the lower part, unbranched to rarely branched in the lower part, ridged or slightly winged, pilose. Leaves spirally arranged. Petiole absent – 13 mm long, flat, glabrous. Lamina (20–)44–70 by (5–) 14–20 mm, oblanceolate to narrowly ovate, apex acute, base cuneate to attenuate, margin shallowly crenate with small teeth, glabrous, no distinct gland; lateral veins 4–8 pairs. Inflorescence axillary, erect, (1–)6–14-flowered raceme. Peduncle 45–55 mm long, glabrous. Rachis 5–20 mm long. Flowers c. 12 mm long, c. 7 mm deep, purple with deep purple streaks. Bracts 3–6 by 2–3.5 mm, ovate to elliptic, apex acute to acuminate and mucronate, base round to cuneate, margin entire without glands, yellowish green with pink tinge at the base, glabrous, persistent. Pedicel 5–10 mm long, green with pink tinge, glabrous. Lateral sepals 2, 4.5–6 by 3–4.5 mm, free, orbicular to obliquely ovate, apex round to acuminate and mucronate, base round to obtuse, membranous, yellowish green with pink tinge, glabrous. Lower sepal c. 7 mm long, 4 mm deep, navicular, apex acute, purplish white, distal part abruptly constricted into an incurved spur, 15–20 mm long, light purple. Dorsal petal up to 10 by 10 mm, ovate, cucullate to flat, apex obtuse, white with purple streaks, abaxial midvein simple. Lateral united petals c. 15 mm long, free, light purple: the upper petals up to 3 mm wide, triangular-ovate, apex acute, distinctly clawed; the lower petals, up to 7 mm wide, dolabriform, apex acute to obtuse, basal auricles present, up to 1 mm wide, brown. Stamens: anthers obtuse. Fruits up to 9 mm long, 3 mm diam, fusiform, 5-lobed, greenish with purple tinge, glabrous; pedicels at fruiting stage up to 12 mm long. Seeds 4 or 5, black, smooth.

Fig. 17 Impatiens peguana Hook.f. a.Habit; b. front view of flowers; d. lateral sepals; e. lower sepals; f united petals; h. stamens; i. ovary and pedicel. — sansakun.

Phenology — Flowering: July to December; fruiting: December.

Distribution — Myanmar (Kachin State), India (Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland) ( Gogoi et al. 2015a).

Ecology — Growing in water or rocky places near streams, 900–1000 m altitude.

Other collection examined. MYANMAR, Kachin State, Maung Po Khanh

1873 (SING SING0150198), Myitkyina District , Pidaung Reserve, 7 July 1926 .

Note — Impatiens parkinsonii is very different from all other Impatiens species in Myanmar. The most similar species is I. rangoonensis , but I. parkinsonii has smaller flowers, as well as an oblanceolate to narrowly ovate leaf lamina. It is also similar to I. acuminata Benth. ex Hook.f. & Thomson (1860: 145) but differs in having a longer peduncle and ovate to elliptic bracts. Impatiens hukaungensis was just published this year ( Tanaka et al. 2018), but its description and photographs are exactly similar to I. parkinsonii .