Interesting Impatiens from near Nohradhar, Himachal Pradesh

[Gurcharan Singh]

This is really interesting flower colour, lower sepal tube and hairiness suggesting I. tricornis but two prominent lobules suggest I. edgeworthii, the plant barely few cm tall is much more hispid than all my populations, Near Nohradhar, Himachal Pradesh, alt 2000 m, May 25, 2015.

Dr. Gurcharan Singh

Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Mob: 9810359089

https://sing96.wixsite.com/mysite-1

[Ashutosh Sharma]

Respected Gurcharan Singh sir,

This is surely from Impatiens scabrida complex and will say Impatiens tricornis for now.

See the plant is much hairy with pubescent lateral sepals also upper lobe of lateral united petal is much wider and there is no streaked red color in throat only rusty spots are present.

As this plant is photographed much earlier flowering in May at higher altitude near 2000metres so this is likely some variation because it is flowering much before monsoon rains and in cooler temperatures so plant growth also remain stunted. I have seen such variations in some other Himalayan Balsams also... 

Best regards 

Ashutosh Sharma 

[Wojciech Adamowski]

I agree with Ashutosh Sharma

                                       Wojciech

[Gurcharan Singh]

Thanks dear Ashutosh Sharma ji and Wojciech Adamowski ji. I am also bringing into loop Nidhan ji, Balkar ji and Anil Thakur ji who have good knowledge about the flora of the region.

Sorry but I won't stop at that. The main reason why wrote three main posts "Sorting our Impatiens edgeworthii/scabrida/tricornis" was the most important key character in BSI Flora of India, Vol 4 page 106 "basal lobe of wings produced upwards anteriorly into decurved lobule" which separates I. edgeworthii from at least 50 next species in the key including I. scabrida (I. tricornis not established then 1997, only emrged in 2016). These lobules are very clearly seen in my images already on Flowers of India, our database and fresh post yesterday. These are clearly absent in two species I. scabrida and I. tricornis I uploaded yesterday. I must say these lobules are very clearly seen in population uploaded by me from Nohradhar, and we can't simply dismiss this as variation of tricornis. I don't say it is I. edgeworthii, but can safely say that it keys out along with I. edgeworthii (in key of BSI Flora of India). Who knows it may turn out to be a new species, which our active researches can work on.

A fresh trip to Nohradhar in June may give us chance to locate and study this population in detail.

   

Dr. Gurcharan Singh

Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Mob: 9810359089

https://sing96.wixsite.com/mysite-1

[Wojciech Adamowski]

Dear Gurcharan ji,

what are you calling lobule?

I see distinct structure in place where upper lateral petal is connected with lower lateral petal.

If yes, this is some misinterpretation - this structure is auricle - see Fig. 1 in Ruchisansakun S., Suksathan P., van der Niet T., Smets E.F., Saw-Lwin, Janssens S.B. 2018. Balsaminaceae of Myanmar. Blumea 63, 2018: 199–267. https://doi.org/10.3767/blumea.2018.63.03.01

Best regards           Wojciech

[Gurcharan Singh]

Thanks a lot Wojciech Adamowski

I reproduce again the couplet 117 on page 106 of BSI Flora of India

117a   Basal lobe of wings produced upwards  anteriorly into decurved lobule.........I. edgeworthii

     b.   Basal lobe of wings not produced upwards anteriorly into decurved lobule ......next 48 species

And description of I. edgeworthii on page 144      "Wings with a globular dorsal auricle and a lobular structure towards sinus; basal lobes obovate, 6 x 5 mm; distal lobes oblong with ligulate apex, lobular structure oblong , ca 6 x 2 mm "

Description of I. exilis which keys out along with rest 47 species "Wings 1-1.5 cm long; basal lobes ovate-triangular, 6-7 x 3-4 mm; distal lobes elliptic-obovate, acutely pointed at apex, 7-10 x 5-7 mm; dorsal auricle short, hooked"

You are best qualified to interpret it

Dr. Gurcharan Singh

Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Mob: 9810359089

https://sing96.wixsite.com/mysite-1

[Dr. Anil Kumar Thakur]

Sir, I have some clicks of this species. I'll check and report back. 

Regards 

[Wojciech Adamowski]

Dear efi users,

sorry for delay in answer, but I am busy with several other works at once.

Impatiens scabrida/cristata/tricornis group is rather complicated and still not fully explored.

Please remember that I am living in place where only one Impatiens is native and three other naturalized or invasive. What I see are pictures of plants and my interpretation could be wrong. However, I better understand what I see than what I read...

I will start with terminology to make things more clear.

In most Impatiens species flower has 2 or 4 lateral sepals, often green, but sometimes colorful, one lower sepal and five petals: one upper or dorsal petal and two pairs of connate lateral united petals. Lower sepal in most cases has spur. Lateral united petals could have auricle, ofter darker in color than other parts of petals. Upper petal could be flat ot cucullate; could have crest or horn.

Flora of India (FoI) in further texts) use following terms:

wings = lateral united petals

lip = lower sepal

upper lobe = upper lateral petal

lower lobe = lower lateral petal

I don't know what is "lobular structure" in description of I. edgeworthii.

I will continue when time allows

                                                   Wojciech

[Wojciech Adamowski]

Dear efi users,

today what I understand from key in FoI

Basal lobe of wings (= upper of lateral united petals) produced upwards anteriorly into decurved lobule for I. edgeworthii.

Not as such for further many species.

What I see is: upper part of upper of lateral petals is short (narrow), lower part is much longer and spreading.

There is auricle, see https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/7651712 but not particularly conspicuous and different than in Gurcharan ji's picture.

Next group of species is very diversified and I am unable to find something common for them in terms of flower morphology...

This way understanding intentions of key authors is veeery difficult.

Part three tomorrow, I hope                        Wojciech

W niedziela, 23 lutego 2020, 07:08:50 CET, Dr. Anil Kumar Thakur <aniltha...@gmail.com> napisał(-a):