Bull . Natn. Sci . Mus., Tokyo, Ser. B, 22(4), pp. 135- 144, December 22, 1996

Further Notes of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae)
from Yunnan, China
By

Shinobu AKIYAMA\ Hideaki 0HBA 2 and Su-Kung Wu 3
1

Department of Botany, National Science Museum,4- 1- 1 Amakubo, Tsukuba, lbaraki 305, Japan2
Department of Botany, University Museum, University of Tokyo,
7- 3- 1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113, Japan
3
Herbarium, Kunming Institute of Botany, Academia Sinica,
Kunming, Yunnan 650204, China

Abstract

Five new species, Impatiens wuchengyihii , I. luchunensis, I. maguanensis,

I. clavigeroides and I. linearisepala are described from S Yunnan, China. Two species,
I. kamtilongensis and I. porphyrea , are first reported from China (S Yunnan) .

Akiyama et al. (1995a) published a note of Impatiens from SW Yunnan,
China with four new species and two new records. A number of interesting
Impatiens were collected also from S Yunnan by S. K. Wu (the third author), X.
Cheng, Y. P. Yang, J. Murata, T. Sugawara, T. Kawahara & H . Nagamasu in
1994 and by S. K. Wu , Y. M. Shui, Y. P. Yang, L. H. Liu, J. H. He, J. Murata,
H. Nagamasu, T. Sugawara, X. Chen & N. Murakami in 1995. This paper aims
to describe five new species and two new records from China in their collections.
1)

lmpatiens kamtilongensis Toppin, Kew Bull. 1920: 356 (1920).
[Fig. 1: 1a- g]
Plants ea. 30 cm tall, apical part of stem with dense patent hairs. Leaves
alternate, distributed throughout and somewhat aggregated in apical part, withglandular petiole 3- 5 cm long or sessile in upper leaves; lamina widely elliptic
to elliptic, 9- 12 cm long, 4.5- 5.5 cm wide, apex acute, base attenuate, margin
crenate, sparsely pubescent on both surfaces.
Inflorescences racemose, ea. 2 cm long, axillary, usually from the upper leaf
axils, ascending, with 2 (or 3) flowers. Peduncle ea. 2 cm long, densely pubescent.
Pedicel ea. 1.5 cm long, densely pubescent, with a bract at base. Bract linear, ea.
8 mm long, pubescent, persistent.
Flowers yellow with reddish patches, ea. 3 cm long, ea. 4 cm deep. Lateral
sepals 2, ovate, ea. 9 mm long, apex acuminate, hairy . Lower sepal yellow,
navicular, constricted into a spur, ea. 1. 8 cm long, ea. 1.2 cm deep (excluding

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Shinobu AKIY AMA, Hideaki 0HBA and Su-Kung Wu

Fig. I. I: Jmpatiens kamtilongensis Toppin. (S. K. Wu et al. 2659, n) . 2: I. wuchengyihii
S.Akiyama et al. (S. K. Wu et al. 2457, n). la, 2a: Flower. lb, le, 2b, 2c: Dorsal
petal. Id, 2d: Lateral united petals. le, 2e: Lower sepal. If, 2f: Lateral sepal. lg, 2g:
Stamens. All : X 1.5.

spur), pubescent on outer surface; spur ea. 2.4 cm in overall length, incurved.
Dorsal petal yellow, nearly orbicular, ea. 1.4cm long, ea. 1.8 cm wide, apex
retuse, with a crest-like appendage ea. 4 mm high, sparsely pubescent on outersurface. Lateral united petals yellow with reddish patches, ea. 2.5 cm long; thebasal lobe widely triangular-obovate, ea. 1.2 cm long, ea. 1.2 cm wide, apex
truncate; the distal lobe semi-orbicular, ea. 1.5 cm long, ea. 1.1 cm wide, apex
oblique retuse; ventral appendage reniform and inflexed. Stamens 5, anthers
without appendage. Chromosome number 2n = 14 (Sugawara et al. in press) .
Distr. Burma and Yunnan.
Specimens examined. China, Yunnan, Maguan, Gu-ling-quing, 170o--1900
m (S. K . Wuetal. 2659, Aug. 17, 1994, KUN, TI); Xiao-cun-zi, 1050m (S. K. Wu
et al. 2678, Aug. 18, 1994, KUN , TI) .
Impatiens kamtilongensis was described from Burma by Toppin (1920). Thisis the first report from China (Yunnan). The species is similar to I. mengtszeana,
distributed throughout Yunnan except north and northeast parts (Akiyama et al.
1995b) and characterized by the large yellow flowers with or without reddish
patches (Akiyama et al. 1995a), but differs by the densely pubescent peduncle andpedicel.

Further notes of Impatiens from Yunnan, China

2)

137

Impatiens wuchengyihii S.Akiyama, H.Ohba & S.K.Wu, sp. nov.
[Fig. 1: 2a- g]
A Impatienti kamtilongensi Toppin sepalis lateralibus linearibus nee ovatis et
floribus aliquantum minoribus differt.
Plants more than 30 cm tall. Leaves alternate, with pubescent, glandular
petiole 5- 7 cm long, or nearly sessile in upper leaves, lamina widely elliptic toelliptic, 9- 15 cm long, 4- 7 cm wide, apex acute, base attenuate, margin crenate,sparsely pubescent on both surfaces.
Inflorescences racemose, 3- 4 cm long, axillary, from the upper leaf axils,
ascending, usually with 2 flowers. Peduncle 2- 3.5 cm long, densely pubescent.
Pedicel 1- 1.5 cm long, densely pubescent, with a bract at base (or sometimes nearbase) . Bract linear, 4- 6mm long, densely pubescent, persistent.
Flowers yellow with reddish patches, ea. 2 cm long, ea. 3.5 cm deep. Lateral
sepals 2, linear, ea. 1 cm long, densely pubescent. Lower sepal yellow, withreddish veins, navicular, constricted into a spur, ea. 1. 8 cm long, ea. 1.2 cm deep
(excluding spur), pubescent on outer surface; spur ea. 2 cm in overall length,
incurved . Dorsal petal yellow, orbicular, ea 1.2 cm long, ea 1.4 cm wide, apex
retuse, with crest-like appendage ea. 3 mm high, pubescent on outer surface.
Lateral united petals yellow with reddish patches, ea. 2.1 cm long; the basal lobe
widely triangular-obovate, ea. 1.2 cm long, ea. 1 cm wide, apex truncate; thedistal lobe semi-orbicular, ea. 1.2 cm long, ea. 8 mm wide, apex slightly retuse;ventral appendage reniform and inflexed. Stamens 5, anthers without appendage.
Fruit narrowly ovoidal in young. Chromosome number 2n = 14 (Sugawara et al.
in press).
Distr. Yunnan (Luchun).
Specimen examined. China, Yunnan, Luchun, Mt. Huanglianshan, Hydrologic Station, 170o-1900m (S. K. Wu et al. 2457, Oct. 23, 1995, KUN-holotype,
TI-isotype).
The species is named in honor of Professor Wu Chengyih, for his great
contributions to Chinese flora . This species is quite similar to I. kamtilongensis
but distinguishable from the latter by the linear lateral sepals against ovate one
and relatively small flowers. In Impatiens the shape of lateral sepals is constantand stable.
Impatiens wuchengyihii is morphologically similar to both I. mengtszeana
and I. kamtilongensis; all have racemes with usually two relatively large yellow
flowers and navicular lower sepals. By these characters the three species are well
distinguishable from all other species; here I. mengtszeana-group is provided forfurther discussion of the infrageneric system.

13 8

Shinobu AKIY AMA, Hideaki 0HBA and Su-Kung W u

3)lmpatiens luchunensis S.Akiyama, H .Ohba & S.K.Wu, sp. nov.
[Fig. 2: 1a- g]
In habitu Impatienti siculifera Hook.f. maxime similis, sed ab ilia lobis
distalibus petalorum unitorum lateralium obstipe curvatisque anguste ellipticis et
4 nee 2 sepalis lateralibus bene differt.
Plants ea. 40 cm tall. Leaves alternate, with petiole 2- 3 cm long or sessile inupper leaves; lamina elliptic, 6-9 cm long, 2.5- 3 cm wide, apex acute, baseattenuate, margin crenate, nearly glabrous on both surfaces.
Inflorescences racemose, straight, ascending, axillary, from upper leaf axils,
with (1 or) 2 flowers . Peduncle 1.5- 3cm long, glabrous. Pedicel 1- 1.2cm long,glabrous, with a bract at base. Bract ovate, ea. 4 mm long, apex acute, notcaducous.
Flowers yellow, ea. 2 cm long, ea. 2. 5 cm deep. Lateral sepals 4; outer ones
ovate, ea. 4 mm long, apex acute, herbaceous; inner ones minute, ea. 1 mm long,membranaceous. Lower sepal yellow, navicular, tapering into a long recurved
spur, ea. 10 mm long, ea. 26 mm deep including spur. Dosal petal ovate, ea. 9 mm
long, ea. 7 mm wide when flattened, slightly cuculate, without crest-like appendage. Lateral united petals yellow, ea. 19 mm long; the basal lobe ovate, ea. 9 mm
long, ea. 4 mm wide; distallobe curved narrowly elliptic, ea. 14 mm long, ea. 3 mm
wide, apex rounded , with very narrow slightly inflexed appendage. Stamens 5,
anthers without appendage. Style glabrous. Fruit linear (?) . Chromosome
number 2n = 18 (bimodal) (Sugawara et al. in press).
Distr. Yunnan (Luchun) .
Specimen examined. China. Yunnan, Luchun, Mt. Huanglianshan, Sha-duya-kou, 190o-2500m (S. K . Wu et al. 2475, Oct. 26, 1995, KUN-holotype, TI-isotype).
This species belongs to I. drepanophora-group (Akiyama et al. 1995a), anddiffers from I. siculifer Hook.f. by having the curved narrowly elliptic distallobeof the lateral united petals and 4 lateral sepals.
4)

Impatiens maguanensis S.Akiyama, H .Ohba & S.K.Wu, sp. nov.
[Fig. 2: 2a- f]
Ex affinitate Impatienti siculifera Hook.f. et I. luchunensi S.Akiyama et al.
bracteis cadentibus; ab hac floribus majoribus ad 3 (nee 1.5- 2) cm longis et calcari
recto nee conspicue curvato prodeunte; ab ilia lobis distalibus petalorum unitorumlateralium falcatis 1.8- 2 (nee ea. 1.4) cm longis et sepalis lateralibus interioribus
4 (nee ea. 1) mm longis diversa.
Plants ea. 40 cm tall. Leaves alternate, somewhat aggregated in apical part,with petiole 2- 3.5 cm long or nearly sessile in upper leaves; lamina widely elliptic,
ea. 8- 11 cm long, 4- 6 cm wide, apex acute, base attenuate, margin crenate, nearly
glabrous on both surfaces.
Inflorescences racemose, ea. 6 cm long, axillary from the upper leaf axils,

Further notes of lmpatiens from Yunnan, China139

lf~ 1g~2c

3e~ 31,

Fig. 2. 1: lmpatiens luchunensis S.Akiyama et al. (S. K. Wu et al. 2475, TI) . 2: lmpatiens
maguanensis S.Akiyama et al. (S. K . Wu et al. 2658, TI). 3: lmpatiens porphyrea
Toppin (S. K. Wu et al. 2452, TI) . la: Flower. lb, le, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b: Dorsal petal.
Id, 2c, 3c: Lateral united petals. le, 2d, 3d: Lower sepal. If, lg, 2e, 2f, 3e, 3f: Lateral
sepal (If, 2e, 3e: outer, lg, 2f, 3f: inner). la: X 1.5, others: X 3.

140

Shinobu AKIYAMA, Hideaki 0HBA and Su-Kung W ustraight, ascending, with 2- 4 flowers. Peduncles ea. 4 cm long, glabrous. Pedicel
1.5- 2 cm long, glabrous, with a bract at base. Bract narrowly ovate, ea. 5 mm
long, apex acute, caducous.
Flowers yellow, ea. 3 cm long, ea. 4 cm deep. Lateral sepals 4; outer ones
ovate, apex acute, 8- 9 mm long, herbaceous; inner ones narrowly ovate, 4 mm
long, membranaceous. Lower sepal yellow, navicular, tapering into a longstraight (rarely slightly curved) spur, ea. 1.2 cm long, ea. 3.2 cm deep including
spur. Dorsal petal ovate, ea. 1.2 cm long, ea. 8 mm wide when flattened , without
crest-like appendage. Lateral united petals, yellow, ea. 2.8 cm long; the basal lobe
narrowly ovate to narrowly elliptic, 1.3- 1.4 cm long, 3- 4 mm wide, apex rounded;
the distal lobe falcate, 1.8- 2 cm long, ea. 3 mm wide, with inflexed narrow
appendage. Stamens 5, anthers without appendage. Style glabrous. Fruits linear(?). Chromosome number 2n = 18 (bimodal) (Sugawara et al. in press) .
Distr. Yunnan (Maguan).
Specimen examind. China. Yunnan, Maguan, Gu-ling-quing, 1700--1900 m(S. K. Wu et al. 2658, Aug. 17, 1994, KUN-holotype, TI-isotype).
This species belongs to I. drepanophora-group . Being similar to I. siculiferand I. luchunensis, it differs by having caducous bract and from the former by thelarge flowers attaining 3 cm long and the straight spur, and from the latter by thefalcate, long distallobe of the lateral united petals and the 4 mm long inner lateral
sepals.
5)

lmpatiens porphyrea Toppin, Kew Bull. 1920: 363 (1920).
[Fig. 2: 3a- f]
Plants 1- 2 m tall. Leaves alternate, somewhat aggregated in apical part, withglabrous petiole 0.5- 2cm long or sessile in upper leaves; lamina elliptic, ovate orlanceolate, 7- 15 cm long, 2.5- 6 cm wide, apex acute, base attenuate, margin
crenate, nearly glabrous on both surfaces.
Inflorescences racemose, 6- 8 cm long, axillary, from upper leaf axils,
straight, ascending, with 3- 5 flowers . Peduncle 3- 5 cm long, glabrous. Pedicelea. 2 cm long, glabrous, with a bract at base. Bract ovate, 3- 4 mm long, apex
acute, persistent.
Flowers dark red-purple, ea. 2 cm long, ea. 3 cm deep. Lateral sepals 4; outerones navicular, ovate or lanceolate, 4- 5(- 8) mm long, apex acute; inner ones
minute, less than 1 mm long, membranaceous. Lower sepal dark red-purple,
navicular, tapering into a slightly recurved spur, ea. 1.3 cm long, ea. 2.5 cm deep
including spur. Dorsal petal orbicular, somewhat cuculate, ea. 1 cm long, ea. I cm
wide when flattened. Lateral united petals dark red-purple, ea. 2 cm long; thebasal lobe oblong-rotundate to rotundate, ea. 1.2 cm long, ea. 5 mm wide, apex
rounded; the distal lobe loriform, ea. 1.2 cm long, ea. 3 mm wide. Stamens 5,
anthers without appendage. Style glabrous. Fruit linear. Chromosome number
2n = 18 (bimodal) (Sugawara et al. in press) .

Further notes of Jmpatiens from Yunnan, China

141

Distr. Burma (Kachin Hills) and Yunnan.
Specimens examined. China. Yunnan, Luchun, Mt. Huanglianshan, Hydrologic Station, 170o-1900m (S. K. Wuetal. 151, Oct. 18, 1995, KUN, n; 2448
& 3210, Oct. 22, 1995, K UN, TI; 2452, Oct. 23, 1995, KUN, TI).
This species was described from Kachin Hills by Toppin ( 1920). This is thefirst report from Yunnan, China. The species of the Impatiens drepanophoragroup has principally yellow flowers, but there are some species with purplish
flowers . One of them is I. porphyrea.
6)lmpatiens clavigeroides S.Akiyama, H .Ohba & S.K.Wu, sp. nov.
[Fig. 3: 1a- h]
A I mpatienti clavigera Hook. f. sepal is lateralibus exterioribus longioribus
usque ad ea. 1.5 (non 1.2) cm et antheris appendicula membranacea evolutis
differt .

2h~Fig. 3. 1: Jmpatiens cla vigeroides S.Akiyama et al. (S. K . Wu et al. 2403, n) . 2:
Jmpatiens linearisepala S.Akiyama et al. (S. K. Wu et al. 2652, TI) . l a, 2a: Flower.
lb, le, 2b, 2c: Dorsal petal. Id, 2d: Lateral united petals. le, 2e: Lower sepal. If, lg,
2f, 2g: Lateral sepal (If, 2f: outer, lg, 2g: inner). lh, 2h: Stamens. All: X 1.5.

142

Shinobu AKIY AMA, Hideaki OHBA and Su-Kung Wu

Plants ea. 45 cm tall. Leaves alternate, distributed upper part of stem, withpetiole 3.5- Scm long or nearly sessile in upper leaves; lamina elliptic, 9- 12cm
long, 3.5-4cm wide, apex acute to acuminate, base attenuate, margin crenate,nearly glabrous on both surfaces.
Inflorescence racemose, axillary, from upper leaf axils, pendulous beneath
subtending leaf, usually with 2 flowers and few aggregated small flower buds (?).
Peduncle ea. 1.5 cm long, glabrous. Pedicel ea. 1.5 cm long, glabrous, with a bractat base. Bract ovate, 5- 7 mm long, apex acute, not caducous.
Flowers pale yellow, ea. 2cm long, ea. 4cm deep. Lateral sepals 4 (2 pairs);
outer ones asymmetrically widely ovate, ea. 1.5 cm long, ea. 1.2 cm wide, apex
acute, margin with glands; inner ones linear, ea. 1.8 cm long. Lower sepal paleyellow with reddish veins, bucciniform, constricted into a spur, ea. 2.4 cm long,ea. 1. 7 cm deep (excluding spur); spur ea. 8 mm long (ea. 2 cm long in overall
length), incurved at apex. Dorsal petal pale yellow with reddish veins, widely
obovate, ea. 1.6 cm long, ea. 2 cm wide when flattened, apex slightly retuse witha appendage, ea. 2 mm high. Lateral united petals pale yellow with reddish veins,ea. 2.8 cm long; the basal lobe narrowly obovate, ea. 1.8 cm long, ea. 7 mm wide,
apex acute; the distal lobe obovate, ea. 1.3 cm long, ea. 1 cm wide, apex retuse;ventral appendage large, inflexed. Stamens 5, anthers with membranaceous
appendages, connective glabrous. Chromosome number 2n = 34 (Sugawara et al.
in press).
Distr. Yunnan (Luchun).
Specimen examined. China, Yunnan, Luchun, Mt. Huanglianshan, Hydrologic Station, 170G-1900 m (S. K. Wu et al. 2403, Oct. 22, 1995, KUN-holotype,
TI-isotype).
This species is similar to I. claviger Hook.f. but differs by the longer outer
lateral sepal (ea. 1.5 cm long) and the anthers with membranaceous appendages.
Jmpatiens claviger described from Tonkin (in Hook., le. PI. 29: t. 2863, 1908)is characterized by the many flowered peduncles shorter than the leaves, by thelarge ( 4- 5 cm) pale yellow flowers, by the inner sepals longer than the outer ones
( 1. 7 cm long). In Yunnan /. claviger is not yet found, but two similar species
described here, /. clavigeroides and I. linearisepala, were collected.
7)

lmpatiens linearisepala S.Akiyama, H.Ohba & S.K.Wu, sp. nov.
[Fig. 3: 2a- h]
Ex Impatienti clavigera Hook.f. sepalis lateralibus exterioribus brevioribus
ea. 7 (non 12) mm longis et antheris appendicula membranacea evolutis diversa.
A Impatienti clavigeroide S.Akiyama et al. sepalis lateralibus exterioribus brevioribus (nee 15 mm longis), petalo dorsali conspicue cristati-appendiculato, lobis
basalibus eorum unitorum lateralium apice rotundatis bene differt.
Plants ea. 30 cm tall. Leaves alternate, distributed upper part of stem, with

Further notes of lmpatiens from Yunnan, China

143

glabrous petiole 1- 2.5 cm long (shorter in upper leaves) ; lamina elliptic, 7- 9 cm
long, 2.5- 3.5 cm wide, apex acute, base attenuate, margin crenate, nearly glabrouson both surfaces.
Inflorescences racemose, axillary, from the upper leaf axils, pendulous beneath subtending leaf, with 1 or 2 flowers aggregated. Peduncle 2- 2.5 cm long,glabrous. Pedicel ea. 1 cm long, glabrous, with a bract at base. Bract ovate, ea.
5 mm long, apex acute, not caducous.
Flowers pale greenish yellow, ea. 3 cm long, ea. 4 cm deep. Lateral sepals 4(2 pairs); outer ones asymmetrically ovate, ea. 7 mm long, ea. 5 mm wide, apex
acute; inner ones linear, ea. 1.4 cm long. Lower sepal pale greenish yellow,
bucciniform, constricted into a spur, ea. 1.9cm long, ea. 2.5cm deep (excludingspur); spur ea. 4mm long, incurved. Dorsal petal pale greenish yellow, nearly
orbicular, ea. 1.7 cm long, ea. 1.9 cm wide when flattened, apex rounded, with acrest-like appendage, ea. 5 mm high. Lateral united petals pale greenish yellow,
ea. 2.6 cm long; the basal lobe oblong-obovate, ea. 1.6 cm long, ea. 8 mm wide,
apex rounded; the distal lobe oblong-obovate, ea. 1. 7 cm long, ea. 8 mm wide,
apex slightly retuse; ventral appendage large, inflexed. Stamens 5, anthers withmembranaceous appendages, connective glabrous. Chromosome number 2n = 36
(Sugawara et al. in press).
Distr. Yunnan (Maguan) .
Specimen examined. China, Yunnan, Maguan, Gu-ling-quing, 170o-1900
m (S. K. Wu et al. 2652, Aug. 17, 1994, KUN-holotype, TI-isotype).
Impatiens clavigeroides from Mt. Huanglianshan has the dorsal petal withindistinct appendage, the basal lobe of the lateral united petals with acute apex,
and the larger outer lateral sepals (ea. 1.5 cm long) . On the other hand, I.
linearisepala from Gu-ling-quing has the dorsal petal with conspicuous crest-likeappendage, the basal lobe of the lateral united petals with rounded apex, and thesmaller outer lateral sepals (ea. 7 mm long). The chromosome numbers of these
species are 2n = 34 and 2n = 36, respectively. This species and I. clavigeroides
differ from I. claviger by having membranaceous appendages in anthers.
These three species.are unique in having the inner lateral sepals longer thanthe outer ones and share bucciniform lower sepals with short conspicuously
incurved spur. By these features a species group, I. claviger-group, is here
proposed. The species of the group are distributed from South Yunnan to Tonkin.
Acknowledgements

We thank the curators of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Herbarium, Kunming Institute of Botany. This was supported by Grants-in-Aid from
Monbusho, Japan no. 08640902 (to S. Akiyama) in 1996, no. 08041137 (to H.
Ohba) in 1996 and no. 05041081 (to J. Murata) in 1994 & 1995.

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Shinobu AKIYAMA, Hideaki 0HBA and Su-Kung Wu

References
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Akiyama, S., H. Ohba & S.-K. Wu, 1995b. Distribution of Impatiens in Yunnan with notes on
distribution pattern of Himalayan elements in Yunnan, SW China. Bull. Natn. Sci. Mus.,
Tokyo, Ser. B, 21(4): 151 - 168.
Sugawara, T. , S. Akiyama, Y.-P. Yang, & J. Murata. Karyo1ogical characteristics of lmpatiens(Balsaminaceae) in Yunnan , China. Acta Phytotax. Geobot. (in press)