Impatiens meishanensis K. Huang & Z. X. Fu, 2025

Zhang, Yanru, Chen, Xinyu, Qu, Tianmeng, Zheng, Xinyi, Li, Bo, Yue, Jieli, Liu, Xiaoqin, Pan, Min, Huang, Ke & Fu, Zhixi, 2025, Impatiens meishanensis (Balsaminaceae), a new species from Sichuan, China, PhytoKeys 260, pp. 97-113 : 97-113

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.260.150685
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16538739
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0BBCEA65-16C4-5142-B9B9-D638DDE02CD8
treatment provided by	PhytoKeys by Pensoft
scientific name	Impatiens meishanensis K. Huang & Z. X. Fu
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Impatiens meishanensis K. Huang & Z. X. Fu sp. nov.

Type.

China: • Sichuan Province, Meishan City, Wawu Mountain , growing on rocky soil by a mountain road, 1991.5 m. a. s. l., 29.6702°N, 102.9492°E, 28 th September 2024 (fl.), Yanru Zhang & Zhixi Fu 688 (holotype: SCNU! [ SCNU 00008 About SCNU ]; isotype: [ SCNU 00009 About SCNU ]) (Figs 2 View Figure 2 – 5 View Figure 5 ) GoogleMaps .

Diagnosis.

This new species is most closely related to I. faberi , followed by I. piufanensis , sharing a common ancestral node, with alternate, ovate leaves, apex acuminate, base cuneate, and margin serrate. However, it differs in being almost glabrous throughout, with the spur nearly parallel to the dorsal petal, and the seeds ellipsoid, coats with reticulate ornamentation (Figs 2 View Figure 2 – 5 View Figure 5 ).

Description.

Herbs perennial, 40–80 cm tall, glabrous throughout. Stem erect, branched at the base. Leaves alternate, petiolate, petiole length 0.5–2 cm. Leaf blade ovate, 5–12 × 2–3 cm in size, apex acuminate, base cuneate or rounded, margin serrate or undulate, dark green adaxially and grey-green abaxially, glabrous on both surfaces, with pinnate reticulate veins and conspicuous lateral veins in about 5–7 pairs. Peduncle arising from upper leaf axils, 5–10 cm, fine, erect, glabrous or puberulent, 2 - flowered, bracts above basal pedicels. Bracts lanceolate, glabrous. Flowers large, ca. 4 cm long, pinkish-purple, with distinctive bright colors, surface smooth. Inflorescences racemose, 2 - flowered. Dorsal petal 1, suborbicular, ca. 2 × 1.5 cm, apex obtuse, upper and lower bases depressed, with obvious midrib, broadly winged. Lower petals 2, sessile, 8–13 × 6–10 mm, margins wavy, abaxially slightly thickened at midrib, base whitish, with purple veinlets. Lateral sepals 2, ovate-oblong, conchate, ca. 4–5 mm long, 2–3 mm wide, apex mucronate. Lower sepal gable-boat-shaped, ca. 1.5–3 cm long, ca. 1.5 cm deep, mouth obliquely upward, extending backward into a spur, apices blunt and straight. Anthers acuminate. Ovary fusiform, erect. Capsule linear, 3–5 cm long. Seeds ellipsoid, coats with reticulate ornamentation (Figs 3 View Figure 3 , 4 View Figure 4 ).

Phenology.

This new species of Impatiens flowers from August to October each year.

Distribution and ecology.

This new species of Impatiens grows alongside an undeveloped trail at the lower station of the Gufoping cableway in Wawu Mountain, Sichuan Province (Fig. 6 View Figure 6 ). The new species may grow elsewhere as well, with a high probability of growing on moist, rocky soils in forests.

Etymology.

The epithet “ meishanensis ” is derived from Meishan City, located in Sichuan Province, China.

Conservation status.

I. meishanensis is a species of Impatiens from Meishan City, Sichuan Province, which is currently distributed only in the scenic area of Wawu Mountain and in small numbers. Since Wawu Mountain is a famous scenic area in Sichuan Province with high anthropogenic disturbance, it is recommended that the conservation status of this species be assessed as Data Deficient (DD) according to the IUCN Red List criteria ( IUCN 2024).

Relationship with related species.

Critical examination of collected specimens, comparison with type material of allied taxa, and relevant taxonomic literature revealed that I. meishanensis belongs to a new member of the sect. Impatiens of the subgen. Impatiens . I. meishanensis is the closest relative to Impatiens faberi . Morphologically, I. meishanensis shares certain similarities with I. faberi . However, I. meishanensis differs from I. faberi in featuring the lower sepal as gable-boat-shaped (vs. funnel-shaped), spur straight (vs. curved), flower large, ca. 4 cm long (vs. ca. 3 cm long), leaves ovate, 5–12 × 2–3 cm (vs. ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 5–15 × 2.5–4.5 cm), dorsal petal suborbicular (vs. orbicular), capsule linear (vs. narrowly linear), and seeds ellipsoid, coats with reticulate ornamentation (vs. oblong, smooth). This new species of Impatiens is similar to I. distracta , I. faberi , and I. piufanensis ( Chen et al. 2007) . I. meishanensis differs from I. distracta in featuring a plant height of 40–80 cm (vs. 30–60 cm), flower large, ca. 4 cm long (vs. small, ca. 3 cm long), leaves ovate, 5–12 × 2–3 cm (vs. ovate-oblong, 5–10 cm), dorsal petal suborbicular (vs. orbicular), bracts glabrous (vs. puberulent), peduncle 4–8 cm (vs. 2–3 cm) and seeds ellipsoid, coats with reticulate ornamentation (vs. oblong, glabrous). To better distinguish the new species morphologically, we list more details in Table 2 View Table 2 .