Impatiens pulchra Hook.f.

Smets, E. F. & Janssens, S. B., 2018, Balsaminaceae of Myanmar, Blumea 63 (3), pp. 199-267 : 256-257

65. Impatiens pulchra Hook.f.

Impatiens pulchra Hook.f. in Hook.f.& Thomson (1860) 139;Hook.f.(1875)139; (1905) 25, 32; Biswas (1966) 205; Vivek. et al. (1997) 111, 199; W.J. Kress et al. (2003) 170. — Type: Hooker & Thomson 93 (lecto, designated here K K000694754; isolecto B B100365132, C C10008239, G G00237316*, K K000694753,K K000694755,M M0211744,P P04543743,P P04543746, S S-G-3355*), India, Khasia, alt. 5000 ft.

Terrestrial to semi-aquatic, annual herb, 15–60 cm tall. Stem erect to decumbent below, slender or stout, 3–9 mm diam, unbranched to rarely branched, shallowly terete to cylindrical, green, glabrous to slightly scabrous. Leaves spirally arranged. Petiole 2–55 mm long, 1–3.6 mm diam flat, glabrous to remotely pilose. Lamina 40–150 by 15–60 mm, narrowly elliptic to narrowly oblanceolate to oblanceolate to obovate to elliptic, apex acute to acuminate, base cuneate to attenuate, margin serrate to crenate, coriaceous, dark green above, glaucous beneath, glabrous, sometimes pilose in young leaves, sometimes

Fig. 20 Water colour illustration from Kew which is annotated as I. pulchra .

with 1–4 pair(s) of linear glands near lamina base; lateral veins 5–8 pairs. Inflorescence axillary, erect, 1–5-flowered raceme. Peduncle 20–60 mm long, 1–2 mm diam, cylindrical, green to reddish green, glabrous to pilose. Rachis 1–6 mm long, 1–1.5 mm diam, glabrous. Flowers 20–50 by 22–25 mm, 25–50 mm deep, creamy to yellow to orange with darker shade at dorsal petal and upper lateral united petals base. Bracts (2–)3–9 by 1–2 mm, ovate to narrowly lanceolate, apex acute, base cuneate to obtuse, margin entire, green to red, glabrous or abaxially pilose, persistent. Pedicel 10–30 mm long, c. 1 mm diam, cylindrical, green to purple, glabrous. Lateral sepals 2, 5–13 by 5–9 mm, free, ovate to broadly ovate to orbicular to elliptic, apex acute to acuminate and mucronate, base obtuse to truncate, deep orange to green, glabrous or abaxially pilose. Lower sepal 15–23 by 10–12 mm, 10–20 mm deep, bucciniform, apex acute to acuminate and mucronate, deep orange to pale orange with brown reticulations, glabrous, distal part abruptly constricted into an incurved spur with spiral end or initially straight but distally curved, 15–35 mm long. Dorsal petal 15–18 by 10–18 mm, ovate to elliptic to orbicular, cucullate, apex round to truncate and mucronate, base obtuse to truncate, creamy to orange with dark orange at centre, glabrous, abaxial midvein with a crescent-shaped crest, 1–3 mm wide. Lateral united petals 24–40 mm long, free: the upper petals 10–17 by 8–15 mm, orbicular to broadly oblanceolate to ovate to elliptic, apex truncate to obtuse, base cuneate, creamy to orange with dark orange at the base; the lower petals 13–23 by 7–15 mm, free, ovate to oblong to elliptic, apex obtuse, base with round yellow auricle, 2–3 mm high, creamy to orange, glabrous. Stamens: filaments 5–9 mm long, green; anthers obtuse, white. Ovary 4–7 mm long, 1–1.5 mm diam, 5-carpellate, green. Fruits 20–22 mm long, 4–6 mm diam, long fusiform, 5-lobed, green, glabrous. Seeds 30–35.

Fig. 21 Water colour illustration from Kew which is annotated as I. pulchra .

Note — We found that I. pulchra and I. burmanica are not sufficiently distinct to maintain them as different species. As a result, we decided to change the status of I. burmanica to I. pulchra var. burmanica .