Impatiens sahyadrica V.B.Sreek., Hareesh, Dantas & Sujanapal, 2015

Hareesh, V. S., Sreekumar, V. B., Dantas, K. J. & Sujanapal, P., 2015, Impatiens sahyadrica sp. nov (Balsaminaceae) - a new species from southern Western Ghats, India, Phytotaxa 207 (3), pp. 291-296 : 292-296

Impatiens sahyadrica V.B.Sreek., Hareesh, Dantas & Sujanapal sp. nov. ( Figs. 1 , 2 )

The new species is phenotypically related to I. lawsonii Hook.f. (1906: 45) , but differs in having smaller flowers; oblong, free upwardly curved basal lobes of the lateral united petals; smaller dorsal auricle and curved spur ( Table 1).

Type:— INDIA. Kerala: Palakkad district, Silent Valley, Chembotti, ± 980 m, N 11° 6’ 3.2’’, E 76° 25’ 39.5’’, 14 September 2012, V. S. Hareesh & V. B. Sreekumar 28824 (holotype KFRI!, isotypes, CALI!, MH!).

Lithophytic, scapigerous annual tuberous herb, 10–25 cm high; tubers 4–5 × 3–4 mm, discoid, greenish white. Leaves 1–2 rarely 3, radical, 6–11 × 5–7 cm, sub-orbicular or ovate, serrate, acute at apex, cordate or sub-cordate at base, adaxially with dense multicellular hairs, olive, abaxial glabrous, pale ash to pinkish; nerves 4 or 5 pairs, alternate; petiole 2–4.5 cm long, glabrous, pale green. Inflorescence scapose, unbranched; scape 10–25 cm long, 6–15 flowered; bract ca. 0.5 × 2 mm, convex, ovate, acute, glabrous, pale green; pedicel 1–2.5 cm long, elongated and deflexed in fruiting, glabrous, pale green. Flowers distal, 7–9 × 6–7 mm, pale purple; lateral sepal 2, 1.5 × 0.5 mm, ovate, acute to obtuse at apex, glabrous, pale green; dorsal petal ca. 2 × 2.5 mm, orbicular, entire, glabrous, white to pale purple; lateral united petals 6–7 × 4 mm, 3 lobed, pale purple, throat with yellow glandular hairs and followed by a layer of purple hairs; basal lobe 2.5–3 × 1–1.5 mm, oblong, slightly wider at middle, rounded to obtuse, curved upwards; middle lobe 2.5 × 2 mm, broadly ovate, obtuse; distal lobe ca. 2 × 1 mm, narrowly oblong, obtuse; dorsal auricle prominent, ca. 1 mm long, spinous, straight, white; lower sepal 2.5–3 × 1.5 mm, cymbiform, acute, glabrous, white; spur 3–5 × 1 mm, cylindrical, shortly curved at tip, rounded, glabrous, white. Androecium 2–3 × 1.5 mm, connate; anthers ca. 0.5 × 0.5 mm, rose; filaments 2–2.5 × ca. 1 mm, white. Pistil ca. 1 mm long, broadly ellipsoid, acute at apex, glabrous, pale rose. Capsule 2–5 × 1.5–2 mm, ellipsoid, acute, glabrous, pale green. Seeds ellipsoid, reticulately veined, numerous, brown, sparsely covered with unicellular short blunt hairs.

Phenology:— August–September

Etymology:— The specific epithet sahyadrica refers to the name Sahyadri (Western Ghats), the major distributional regions of scapigerous Impatiens in world.

Distribution and Biotic association:—This species is so far known only from Silent Valley National Park, southern Western Ghats of Kerala. Populations were observed in Poochippara and Chembotti at an altitudinal gradient from 980 to 1100 m. The vegetation is west coast tropical evergreen forest with Palaquium ellipticum ( Dalzell 1851: 36) Baillon (1884: 1500) , Cullenia exarillata Robyns (1970: 249) sub-type ( Basha, 1999). Plectranthus malabaricus ( Bentham 1830: 16) R.H. Willemse (1979: 509) , Sarcandra chloranthoides ( Gardner 1846: 348) , Strobilanthes heyneanus Nees (1832: 85) , etc. are the main components of understorey. The new taxon is growing on the open wet rocks along with thick moss cushions and Argostemma courtallense Arnott (1839: 22) .

Conservation status:— The new species collected from two different localities of Silent Valley National Park. The first area comprises around 15 m 2 with 40 individuals and the second one contained only 10 individuals in a 10 m 2 area, the status here assessed as ‘Critically Endangered’ (CR B1ab (i,ii,iv) and 2ab (i,ii,iv)) using IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria ( IUCN, 2012). More field studies are required to confirm the status.

Additional specimen examined (paratype): — INDIA, Kerala: Palakkad district, Silent Valley, Poochippara ± 1100 m, 14 August 2013, V.B.Sreekumar & V.S. Hareesh 28901 (KFRI!).

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Director, KFRI, for encouragement and support; officials of Kerala Forest Department for the permission to conduct study in Silent Valley National Park and to KSCSTE for the financial support. We would like thank Mr. S. Sabik for his assistance in the field and Mr. P.K. Suresh for the preparation of the manuscript.

References

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Figures

FIGURE 1. Impatiens sahyadrica. A. Habitat; B. Habit; C & D. Adaxial leaf surface; E. Flowers & flower buds; F. Glandular hairs; G. Lateral united petals; H. Bract; I. Dorsal petal; J. Lower sepal with spur & dorsal petal; K. Androecium; L. Pistil; M. Capsule; N. Seeds. (Photographs by Hareesh V.S.)

FIGURE 2. Impatiens sahyadrica.A. Habit; B. Bract; C. Flower; D. Lateral united petals; E. Lateral sepal; F. Dorsal petal; G. Lower sepal with spur; H. Column; I. Pistil; J. Capsule; K. Seeds (Drawn after V.S. Hareesh & V.B. Sreekumar 28824 by V.S. Hareesh).