Impatiens Neo-Uncinata

15.04.2024

 Impatiens Neo-Uncinata

Why in the  news?                                                   

Recently, a new species of garden balsam, Impatiens neo-uncinata, has been discovered by researchers in Kerala.

Important points:

• The plant material of the new species was collected in the Naraikadu valley of KMTR in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu, India.
• Impatiens neo-uncinata was initially identified as Impatiens uncinata, a species in the genus Impatiens.

About Impatiens Neo-Uncinata:

• This small plant with attractive milky-white flowers with red stripes has been discovered in the Western Ghats.
• It is a new species of impatiens (family Balsamiaceae).
• In this, flowering and fruiting occurs from August to December.
• It is a rare, wild cousin of the popular garden balsam.
• It bears morphological similarity to Impatiens uncinata but differs in the shape of the flowers, basal and distal lobes, dorsal petals and pollen.
• It is a herb that grows up to 20 cm in height with simple or branched stems.
• It grows in open areas of evergreen forests, especially wetlands.
• The genus Impatiens has more than 1000 species distributed in the tropics and subtropics.
• In India, the highest diversity of impatiens is found in the Himalayas and north-eastern regions, while the southern part of the Western Ghats comes second in this regard.
• Its remote location and low population have led researchers to recommend that it be classified as 'endangered' using IUCN criteria.

                                       Source: The hindu