Bull. Natl. Mus. Nat. Sci., Ser. B, 34(3), pp. 95–101, September 22, 2008

Studies of Sino-Himalayan Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) I.
A New Species Similar to Impatiens cyathiflora
Hook. f. and Allies from Yunnan, China
Shinobu Akiyama1 and Su-Kung Wu2
1

Department of Botany, National Museum of Nature and Science, Amakubo 4–1–1,
Tsukuba 305–0005, Japan
E-mail: akiyama@kahaku.go.jp
2
Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Kunming 650204, Yunnan, China

Abstract A new species of Impatiens, I. biluoxueshanensis S. Akiyama et S. K. Wu (Balsaminaceae), is described from Sino-Himalaya region of China (Ziben Shan, Yunnan) and illustrated.
Impatiens biluoxueshanensis falls within the I. cyathiflora group and differs from the other speciesof this group in having basal lobes of the lateral united petals oblong-obovate with truncate apex.
A table of the comparison and a revised key to species of the all species of the I. cyathiflora groupare given.
Key words : China, Himalaya, Impatiens, new species, Sino-Himalaya.

The genus Impatiens is greatly diversified inthe Sino-Himalayan region, where approximately
200 species have been described. In China there
are about 230 species recorded (Chen et al.,2007). During our field surveys in the Sino-Himalayan region we collected numerous specimens that represent species new to science orprovide noteworthy new evidence on previously
described taxa. The aim of this series of papers is
to describe new species and to mention remarkable features and variation for poorly known
species towards a monograph of Impatiens in theSino-Himalayan region.
A new species similar to Impatiens cyathiflora
Hook. f. and allies was found during recent fieldresearch in Yunnan. The new species, here
named Impatiens biluoxueshanensis, was collected at Ziben Shan (in the southernmost part ofBiluo Xueshan), Yunnan, China.
In the Flora of China (Chen et al., 2007) Impatiens cyathiflora and the similar species, under
189b in the key, are characterized by having racemose inflorescences, medium-sized yellow flowers, dorsal petals without a crest-like appendage,

and funnel-shaped or bucciniform lower sepals.
The new species shares these features and a stemwith dense yellowish brown glandular hairs distally with the closest allies, I. cyathiflora, but differs from them in having the basal lobes of thelateral united petals oblong-obovate with truncate
apex. The terminology of the flower follows
Akiyama et al. (1991).
Impatiens biluoxueshanensis, sp. nov.
[Figs. 1–4]
Impatienti cyathiflorae Hook. f. similis, sedlobis basalibus petalorum unitorum lateralium
oblongi-ovatis, et foliis 5–72.5–3 (nec 10–13
3.5–4.5) cm differt.
Type: China. Yunnan. Yunlong Xian, Ziben
Shan (Biluo Xueshan), 25°46N 99°05E,2540 m (S. Wu, S. Akiyama, Y. Hu, X. Chengand F. Miyamoto 103588, 10 Sept. 1999,KUN–holo, TNS–iso, TI–iso).
Plants 60–70 cm tall; stem branched, basallyglabrous, distally densely yellowish brown glandular hairy. Leaves alternate, petiolate or sessile
distally; petiole to 3 cm long, with or without

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Shinobu Akiyam and Su-Kung Wu

Fig. 1. Impatiens biluoxueshanensis S. Akiyama et S. K. Wu in Ziben Shan (Biluo Xueshan) (on 10 September1999). Upper: Habit. Lower left: Flower (front view). Lower right: Flower (lateral view).

glands at base; leaf blade ovate, 5–72.5–3 cm,base attenuate, margin crenate-serrate, apex
acuminate, both surfaces glabrous, upper surface
green, lower surface slightly glaucous. Inflorescences in axils of distal leaves, racemose, ascending, to 9 cm long, 6–12-flowered; peduncle
to 6 cm long, glabrous; pedicels ca. 1.2 cm long,glabrous, with a bract at base; bracts persistent,ovate, ca. 3 mm long, apex glandular, longacuminate.
Flowers pale yellow, red striate and spotted, ca.
3 cm deep. Lateral sepals 2, broadly ovate, ca.
3 mm long (excluding apex), apex glandular,long acuminate. Lower sepal pale yellow withreddish veins, bucciniform, ca. 1.5 cm deep,
abruptly narrowed into an incurved long spur;
spur ca. 1.4 cm long in overall length. Dorsal
petal pale yellow, with shaded red (on outside)A new species similar to Impatiens cyathiflora Hook. f. and allies from Yunnan

Fig. 2. Isotype of Impatiens biluoxueshanensis S. Akiyama et S. K. Wu (S. Wu, S. Akiyama, Y. Hu, X. Chengand F. Miyamoto 103588, 10 Sept. 1999, TNS).

97

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Shinobu Akiyam and Su-Kung Wu

Fig. 3. Impatiens biluoxueshanensis S. Akiyama et S. K. Wu. a: Flower (lateral view). b: Dorsal petal (folded).
c: Dorsal petal. d: lateral united petals. e: Lower sepal. f. Lateral sepal. g. Anthers. All3.

midvein, nearly orbicular, ca. 911 mm, somewhat cucullate, apex obtuse, midvein slightly
thickened and mucronate near apex. Lateral united petals pale yellow, with reddish veins andspots, ca. 2.6 cm long; basal lobe oblong-obovate, ca. 106 mm, apex truncate; distal lobe
narrowly ovate, ca. 174.5 mm, apex obtuse; appendage large, inflexed. Filaments linear, hooked

at apex; anthers ovoid, connective glabrous.
Ovary linear. Flowers in September.
Distribution: China. Yunnan. Yunlong Xian,Ziben Shan (Biluo Xueshan) (known only thetype).
Chen et al. (2007) included seven species
under 189b in the key to the species of Impatiens
in the Flora of China treatment. They include

glandular, longacuminate

bucciniform,
narrowed into an
incurved spur

Lateral sepal

Lower sepal

apex not curved
cuspidateoblong-orbicular,
apex obtuse
Yunnancup-shaped orfunnelform,
narrowed into an
incurved spur
apex not curved
cuspidateorbicular, apex
obtuseNW Yunnan

bucciniform,
gradually narrowed
into an incurved
spur

hardly mucronate

yellow
ca. 2 cm

apex not curved
cuspidate
suborbicular, apex
obtuseYunnan?
Myanmarbucciniform,
gradually narrowed
into an incurved
spur

apex not curved
cuspidate
suborbicular, apex
obtuseGuizhou, Yunnan

funnelform,
narrowed into acurved long spur

I. nyimana

3–5
spreading or 
curved, shorter or
longer than leaf

yellow or pale
purple, red striate
and spotted
2.5–3 cm
obliquely ovate,often with glands
on one side
obliquely
bucciniform,
abruptly narrowed
into an incurved or
hooked short spur
apex not curved
cuspidateorbicular, apex
obtuseS. Xizang
Bhutan, Sikkim,
Nepal

bucciniformfunnelform,
abruptly narrowedinto a curved shortspur
apex curved
cuspidate
suborbicular, apex
obtuseE. Xizangmucronateyellow or white,
red-brown spotted
2.8 cmpersistent?,
acuminate(1 or) 2–5
spreading?, shorter
than leaf

with dense orsparse yellow
brown long hairs
eliptic-ovate, cliptic ovate or ovateor oblonglanceolate
lanceolate
4–102.5–4 cm
8–202.5–5.5(–6)
cmaxillary
axillary

glabrous

I. urticifolia

persistent, glandular persistent,
aristate
ovate-lanceolate

axillary in upper
leaf axils
5–13
ascending*,
6–10 cmwith sparse
glandular hairs or
glabrousovte-oblong orovate-lanceolate
7–182.5–5 cm

I. loulanensis

glandular aristate or glandular aristate
shortly acuminate

persistent, longglandular aristate or
shortly acuminate
yellowish, purple
tinged at apex
2–2.5 cm

axillary in upper
leaf axils
10–12
ascending*,
longer than petiole,
10–22 cmovate-lanceolate orlanceolate
7–122–3.5 cm

glabrous with few
glandsI. clavicuspis* This is confirmed by figures in the original descriptions or the authentic specimens.

apex not curved
cuspidate
Basal lobe ofoblong-obovate,
lateral united petals apex truncate
Distribution
YunnanDorsal petal

FlowerBractlong glandular

axillary in upper
leaf axils
8–13(–16)
ascending*,
overtopping or
about as long as
leaf
persistent, glandular, persistent, glandular, caducous, scarcely
long acuminate
long acuminate
mucronate or
cuspidateyellow, red striate
yellow, red spotted yellow, pink-purple
and spotted
3–3.5 cm
spottedca. 3 cm
2–2.5 cm

FlowerPeduncleaxilary in upper
leaf axils
6–10
ascending*, shorteror overtopping leaf

axillary in upper
leaf axils
6–12
ascending, to 6 cm

Inflorescenceovate-lanceolate,rarely ovate-elliptic(8–)10–163.5–7cm

ovate
5–72.5–3 cm

glabrous

I. scutisepala

Leaf blade

I. cyathiflorawith dense
yellow-brownglandular hairs
ovate-oblong orovate-lanceolate
10–133.5–4.5 cm

I. biluoxueshanensis

Comparison of Impatiens biluoxueshanensis and resembling species.

Plant (in distal part) with dense
glandular hairs

Table 1.

Hebei, Heilongjiang,
Jilin, Liaoning,
Nei Mongol
Korea, Russia

apex not curved
cuspidatesubovate, apex acutefunnelform,
abruptly elongatedinto an involute,
long spur

cuspidatepale purple or
yellow
small (to 2.5 cm)

persistent?, linear

3–9
ascending,
3–5 cmaxillaryrhombic-ovate or
rhombic-lanceolate
5–132.5–5 cm

with sparse
glandular hairs

I. furcillata

A new species similar to Impatiens cyathiflora Hook. f. and allies from Yunnan
99

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Shinobu Akiyam and Su-Kung Wu

Impatiens urticifolia Wall., I. nyimana C. Marq.
et A. Shaw, I. furcillata Hemsl., I. cyathiflora
Hook. f., I. scutisepala Hook. f., I. clavicuspis
Hook. f. ex W. W. Sm., and I. loulanensis Hook.
f. (Table 1). However, one of them, I. furcillata,
greatly differs from the others in having acuteapex of the basal lobes of the lateral united
petals, pale purple or yellow flowers, and rhom-Fig. 4. Distribution of Impatiens biluoxueshanensis S. Akiyama et S. K. Wu () and I. cyathiflora Hook. f. ().
Table 2.

bic-ovate or rhombic-lanceolate leaf blades, andshould be excluded from the group of I. cyathiflora and allies. It resembles I. textorii Miq. andis distributed in Hebei, northeastern China,
Korea and Far East Russia. Impatiens urticifolia
and I. nyimana also differ from the remaining
four species in the fewer flowered (less six flowers) inflorescences. In the key to species, I. urticifolia is distinguished from the other six
species by flowers with pale purplish spots, but
its flowers are red striate and spotted (Akiyama etal., 1991), or red striate, as mentioned in the description (Chen et al., 2007).
Except for those three species, four additionalspecies, I. cyathiflora, I. scutisepala, I. clavicuspis, and I. loulanensis, are considered to comprise a natural group, tentatively named here theI. cyathiflora group. The group is characterized
by the ascending many-flowered racemose inflorescences, i.e., type 1a in Akiyama and Ohba(2000), more or less bucciniform lower sepals
with incurved spur, i.e., type B(c) in Akiyama
and Ohba (2000), and two lateral sepals. Thespecies of the I. cyathiflora group are all distributed in Yunnan (only I. loulanensis extends toGuizhou). Impatiens biluoxueshanensis evidentlyfalls within this group. Except for the diagnostic
characters, all the species resemble each otherand seem to be differentiated within narrow geo-

A revised key for the lead 189b in the Flora of China

189b. Dorsal petal without cristate midvein
1. Shape of leaf blade rhombic-ovate or rhombic-lanceolate; apex of basal lobe of lateral united petals acute                                                                                        I. furcillata
1. Shape of leaf blade not rhombic-ovate, nor rhombic-lanceolate; apex of basal lobe of lateral united petals obtuse
or truncate                                                                                 2
2. Inflorescences (1 or) 2–5-flowered                                                              3
3. Plants glabrous in distal part; apex of dorsal petal not curved cuspidate                         I. urticifolia
3. Plants densely or sparsely yellowish brown long hairy in distal part; apex of dorsal petal curved cuspidate                                                                                        I. nyimana
2. Inflorescences (5 or) 6–13(–16)-flowered                                      4 [the I. cyathiflora group]
4. Flowers 3–3.5 cm deep; plants with dense yellowish brown glandular hairs in distal part                    5
5. Basal lobe of lateral united petals oblong-orbicular, apex obtuse                              I. cyathiflora
5. Basal lobe of lateral united petals oblong-obovate, apex truncate                 I. biluoxueshanensis, sp. nov.
4. Flowers 2–2.5 cm deep; plants blabrous or with sparse glandular hairs in distal part                       6
6. Bracts caducous, apex scarcely mucronate or cuspidate                                     I. scutisepala
6. Bracts persistent, glandular aristate or acuminate                                                   7
7. Lower sepal bucciniform*; petiole with 2 blobose glands                                    I. clavicuspis
7. Lower sepal funnelform; petiole without basal glands                                      I. loulanensis* In Flora of China (Chen et al., 2007) “saccate” is used for bucciniform here.

A new species similar to Impatiens cyathiflora Hook. f. and allies from Yunnan

graphic ranges. A revised key for the lead 189b
in the Flora of China, which includes Impatiens
biluoxueshanensis, is provided (Table 2).
Impatiens biluoxueshanensis was found sporadically along rather exposed path-side clearingson the trail to Ziben Shan, at elevations of2540 m (Fig. 1). We did not find it in otherplaces. The type locality of I. cyathiflora is Yunnan Sen (now, Kunming) and has been recorded
from Kunming, Songming (NE of Kunming) andDali (Chen, 2001). Ziben Shan, the type localityof I. biluoxueshanensis, is located approximately
350 km west of Kunming and 100 km west ofDali (Fig. 4).
Acknowledgement
We are indebted to Dr. Hideaki Ohba, Professor Emeritus, University of Tokyo for promoting
the field surveys and for his valuable comments.
We are grateful to Dr. David E. Boufford, theHarvard University Herbaria, for reading the101

manuscript.
The field survey was supported by a Grant-inAid for Scientific Research (A) from the Japan
Society for the Promotion of Science, No.
11691178 in 1999 (to Hideaki Ohba).
References
Akiyama, S. and Ohba, H. 2000. Inflorescences of the Himalayan species of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae). Journalof Japanese Botany 75: 226–240.
Akiyama, S., Ohba, H. and Wakabayashi, M. 1991. Taxonomic notes of the East Himalayan species of Impatiens. Studies of Himalayan Impatiens (Balsaminaceae)(1). In: Ohba, H. and S. B. Malla (eds.), The HimalayanPlants 2: 67–94. University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo.
Chen, Y. 2001. Balsaminaceae. In: Chen, Y. (ed.), Fl.
Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 47(2): i–vii, 1–243. SciencePress, Beijing (in Chinese).
Chen, Y., Akiyama, S. and Ohba, H. 2007. Balsaminaceae. In: Wu, Z.-Y. and P. H. Raven (co-chairs), Floraof China 12: 43–114. Science Press, Beijing and Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.