﻿Impatiensbijieensis (Balsaminaceae), a new species from karst plateau in Guizhou, China.

Liu-Yi Ren,Mei-Jun Li,Rong-Xin Huang,Xin-Xiang Bai,Tao-Hua Yuan,Yi Chen

doi:10.3897/phytokeys.192.77517

Abstract

Impatiensbijieensis X.X. Bai & L.Y. Ren, sp. nov. from northwest Guizhou Province, China, is described and illustrated. This new species is distributed discontinuously in Jiulongshan, Dafang County and Dajiucaiping, Hezhang County, both of which are in the Wumeng Mountain area, a karst plateau landform. The new species is morphologically similar to I.pterosepala Hook.f., I.lasiophyton Hook.f. and I.leptocaulon Hook.f. in height and flower shape and it especially resembles I.lasiophyton in pilosity. However, it differs in its deep purplish-red flower, 2-lobed lower sepal apex and cylindrical capsule. A detailed description, colour photographs and a provisional IUCN Red List assessment are provided along with discussions of its geographical distribution, ecology and morphological relationships with other similar species.

Highlights

There are more than 349 species of Impatiens in China (Yuan et al, in press) which are distributed mainly in the southwest and northwest mountainous regions, especially in southwest Provinces (Chen 2001; Chen et al 2007; Cai et al 2015; Kuang 2015; Tan et al 2015; Ding et al 2016, 2017; Xia et al 2019; Gu et al 2021; Liao et al 2021; Peng et al 2021b; Song et al 2021a, b, c) and 61 species of Impatiens have been reported in Guizhou Province (Xiong and Yang 2009; Cong 2010; Kuang et al 2014; Luo and Deng 2015; Peng et al 2021a; Yu et al 2021; Yuan et al in press)
Impatiens as it differed from previously reported or described taxa and we describe it here as a new species
Impatiens bijieensis is similar to I. pterosepala in floral morphology; both have dolabriform distal lobes of lateral united petals and ovate lateral sepals

Summary

Introduction

The genus Impatiens Linnaeus (1753: 937), belonging to the Balsaminaceae, consists of more than 1000 species, mainly distributed in the montane forests of the tropics and subtropics of the Old World with five centres of diversity, namely tropical Africa, Madagascar, south India and Sri Lanka, eastern Himalaya and Southeast Asia There are more than 349 species of Impatiens in China (Yuan et al, in press) which are distributed mainly in the southwest and northwest mountainous regions, especially in southwest Provinces (including Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan) (Chen 2001; Chen et al 2007; Cai et al 2015; Kuang 2015; Tan et al 2015; Ding et al 2016, 2017; Xia et al 2019; Gu et al 2021; Liao et al 2021; Peng et al 2021b; Song et al 2021a, b, c) and 61 species of Impatiens have been reported in Guizhou Province (Xiong and Yang 2009; Cong 2010; Kuang et al 2014; Luo and Deng 2015; Peng et al 2021a; Yu et al 2021; Yuan et al in press). After a thorough morphological study, based on literature (Xiong and Luo 1989; Chen 2001; Chen et al 2007; Yu 2012) and herbarium material (GZAC!), we concluded that this Impatiens species should be placed in I. subg Impatiens as it differed from previously reported or described taxa and we describe it here as a new species

Materials and methods

Discussion