Impatiens uncinata

Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context:

• Researchers have identified a new species of garden balsam in Kerala, naming it Impatiens neo-uncinata.

About Impatiens neo-uncinata

• It is a new species of Impatiens (family Balsaminaceae).
• It has been discovered in the Western Ghats and has now been identified as a rare, wild cousin of the popular garden balsam.
• It has been reported only from a single locality at an elevation ranging from 1,000 to 1,250 m, and that too in very few numbers.
• It bears morphological resemblances to Impatiens uncinata but it differs in the size of the flowers, basal and distal lobes, the dorsal petal, and pollen.
• It is a herb that grows up to 20 cm in height. It grows in open areas of evergreen forests, particularly wetlands.
• In India, it is mostly found in the Himalayan and the northeastern regions. The southern arm of the Western Ghats stands second in its availability.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/a-serendipitous-discovery-that-led-to-identification-of-a-new-species-of-garden-balsam-in-kerala/article68061499.ece