Impatiens max-huberi Eb.Fisch. & Rahelivololona, 2016

Fischer, Eberhard & Rahelivololona, Marie Elisette, 2016, New taxa of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) from Madagascar VIII. Impatiens max-huberi, a new species from Marojejy and Anjanaharibe-Sud, Phytotaxa 244 (2), pp. 191-195 : 191-195

Impatiens max-huberi Eb.Fisch. & Rahelivololona , sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

Impatienti sambiranensi affinis sed foliis alternis, floribus rosei-purpureis sine maculis duo albis et calcare breviore incurvato valde differt.

Type:— MADAGASCAR. Antsiranana, Marojejy National Park, path from Mandena to the summit of Marojejy, above Camp III, 1540 m, 14°26’23’’S 49°44’28’’E, 20 October 2014, E. Fischer, Roger Lala, E. Sérusiaux, B. Goffinet & D. Ertz 221a ( holotype TAN!, isotype KOBL!).

Perennial herb, erect, glabrous. Stems succulent, green, up to 80–100 cm tall. Leaves alternate, dark green, shining, velvet-like above, purplish below, petiole 13–22 mm long, without extrafloral nectaries, lamina lanceolate-ovate to oblong-elliptic, widest in upper third, base attenuate, apex acuminate, 6.5–7.6 × 2.1–2.6 cm, with 4–6 pairs of secondary veins, margin dentate, with (6–) 8–10 (–13) pairs of teeth with gland-tipped appendages. Inflorescence axillary, with (1–) 2–6 flowers. Peduncle 1 mm long. Bracts linear-lanceolate, 3–4 × 1 mm. Pedicels 5.2–6.5 cm long, reddish. Flowers pinkish-purple, dorsal petal with greenish crest and apicule, lateral sepals greenish. Lateral sepals lanceolate, curved, spreading in bud, 6 × 1.5 mm. Lower sepal navicular, 17–19 × 8–10 mm, with apicule at base 1.5–2 mm long, 14 mm in diameter. Spur curved, slender, 28–45 mm long and 2 mm wide. Dorsal petal ± cucullate, emarginate at apex, 24 × 18–19 mm, dorsal crest distinct, 14–15 × 6–8 mm, apicule at apex 1 mm long, not visible from ventral side, dorsal crest seen from ventral forming a depression. Lateral united petals 30–35 mm long, upper petal deeply emarginated at apex, 22 × 12 mm, lower petal deeply bilobed at apex, 30 × 15 mm, lower lobe 8–15 × 7 mm. Anthers 3–5 mm long. Ovary 6–7 mm long. Fruit elongate, fusiform, 15 mm long.

Habitat: —Upper montane forest to ericaceous shrub, 1330–1850 m.

Distribution: — Madagascar, Mt. Marojejy and adjacent Anjanaharibe-Sud ( Fig. 3).

Etymology: —Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Max Georg Huber, Professor of Theoretical Nuclear Physics, and Rector of the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn from 1992 to 1997 for the generous support of taxonomic research and the Botanical Gardens.

Additional specimens seen.— MADAGASCAR.; Antsiranana, Marojejy Réserve Intégrale, 500–600 m above camp 3, montane lichens evergreen forest, 14°26’17’’S 49°44’64’’E, 1550 m, 28 November 1995, Wohlhauser & Pfund 1046 ( TAN!, NEU!) ; Antsiranana, Préfecture d’Antalaha, Sous-Préfecture d’Andapa, Commune rural de Bealampona, Sud-Ouest d’Andapa , Réserve Spéciale d’Anjanaharibe-Sud , village d’Andranotsarabe , suivant la route nationale Andapa—Bealanana de la piste vers l’ouest, Ambatomainty , camp 2, 14°44’42’’S 49°27’42’’E, 1185–1335 m, 3 November 1994, Ravelonarivo & Rabesonina 522 ( MO!, TAN!) .

Notes: — Impatiens max-huberi is morphologically similar to Impatiens sambiranensis H. Perrier (1934: 46) which differs in the opposite to subverticillate leaves, the pink flowers with 2 white spots and the longer and almost straight to slightly curved spur ( 40–60 mm long). Impatiens sambiranensis is endemic to the Manongarivo Massif, where it grows in lowland rainforest up to 500 m, while I. max-huberi is found in the upper montane forest and the ericaceous shrub of Mt. Marojejy and the adjacent Anjanaharibe Massif.

Conservation status. — Impatiens max-huberi has only been observed in Marojejy National Park and adjacent Anjanaharibe-Sud Special Reserve ( Fig. 3). Both areas are protected but due to its restricted distribution area the species should be considered as endangered (EN).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Impatiens max-huberi. A, habit, B, flower, lateral view, C, flower, frontal view, D, leaf, E, lateral sepal, F, lower sepal and spur, G, dorsal petal, H, lateral united petals.All drawn from Fischer et al. 221a by E. Fischer.

FIGURE 2. Impatiens max-huberi. A, B, habit with inflorescence. C, flower in lateral view. D–E, flower in frontal view. A–E photo. E. Fischer. Scale bar A–B: 2 cm, C–E: 1 cm.