Balsaminaceae
Impatiens

Impatiens hydrogetonoides Launert

First published in Bol. Soc. Brot., sér. 2, 36: 54 (1962)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is SW. Tanzania to N. Zambia. It is a perennial or tuberous geophyte and grows primarily in the wet tropical biome.

Descriptions

Balsaminaceae, E. Launert. Flora Zambesiaca 2:1. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Soft erect or prostrate perennial (?) herb; stems up to 50 cm. high, glabrous or very sparsely pilose, succulent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves spirally arranged, petiolate; lamina 6–11 × 2–4·5 cm., narrowly elliptic or ovate-lanceolate, apex acute to subobtuse, usually acuminate, margin crenulate-denticulate, base cuneate with some slender tentacle-like hairs on the margins, membranous, bright to medium green on the upper surface, greyish-green to glaucous on the lower one, sparsely pilose on the upper surface, less densely so or glabrous on the lower one; secondary nerves 6–9 pairs, somewhat prominent beneath; petiole up to 5 cm. long, slender, subcanaliculate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers axillary, solitary, in pairs or clusters of 3, pink; bracts up to 5 × 1·25 mm., triangular, subulate, tapering to a very fine point, glabrous; pedicels up to 6 cm. long, slender, succulent, usually glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Lateral sepals 5–7 × 3·75–4·25 mm., broadly ovate, acuminate and acute, with a subcordate base, glabrous; posterior sepal up to 13 mm. long and c. 2·5 mm. deep (excluding the spur), shallowly and obliquely navicular, ± abruptly constricted into the spur, distally caudate, glabrous (always?); spur up to 40 mm. long, slender, tapering towards the slightly thickened end, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Anterior petal c. 14 mm. long and c. 12 mm. broad when flattened, helmet-shaped, dorsally very narrowly cristate with the crest terminating in a sharp point, slightly cordate and broadly saccate at the base, glabrous (always?). Lateral pair of united petals c. 20 mm. long, deeply 2-lobed; lobes with the margins slightly overlapping, glabrous; anterior lobe c. 15 × 10 mm., transversely broadly semi-elliptic, distally rounded, with a distinct small ridge at the very base; posterior lobe c. 1/3 the size of the anterior one, broadly elliptic or obliquely obovate (broadest slightly above the middle), entire.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule c. 14 mm. long, fusiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds numerous, c. 2 × 1·6 mm., broadly elliptic to oblong in outline, reddish-brown, finely tuberculate, glabrous.
[FZ]

Balsaminaceae, C. Grey-Wilson. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1993

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb up to 70 cm. tall, but usually less, often only 15 cm.; stems erect, usually solitary, arising from a crown supporting a number of thin tuberous, rather fleshy, roots, unbranched or with a few short lateral shoots.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves crowded towards the stem apices, spirally arranged; petiole 0.8–5.6 cm. long, slender; lamina lanceolate-elliptic to elliptic or oblanceolate, 2.8–13 cm. long, 1.4–7.5 cm. broad, attenuate at the base, the apex obtuse to long-acuminate, sparsely pubescent above, glabrous or sparsely pubescent on the veins beneath; lateral veins 3–8 pairs; margin crenate to crenate-serrate, generally with a few ± 1 mm. long fimbriae towards the base where the lamina runs along the petiole.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in fascicles of 2–3, or solitary, ependunculate, pale pink to lilac or deep rose-purple, the upper petal of each lateral pair usually with a dark blotch towards the base.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts linear-subulate, 3–4 mm. long, inconspicuous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels 2.9–7.8 cm. long, slender, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, deflexed in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Lateral sepals ovate to lanceolate, 5–11 mm. long, 2.5–3.5 mm. broad, acuminate. Lower sepal obliquely and narrowly navicular, 8–14 mm. long, 3–5 mm. deep, abruptly constricted into a 18–25 mm. long curved filiform spur.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Dorsal petal 11–13 mm. long, 12–19 mm. broad (when flattened), semi-cucullate, dorsally with a narrow crest terminating in a short acute point. Lateral united petals 18–27 mm. long, the upper petal of each pair about one-third the size of the lower; upper petal ovate-oblong, 6–13 mm. long, 4–19 mm. broad, usually apiculate; lower petal transversely ovate or semiorbicular, 12–17 mm. long, 9–14 mm. broad, with a slight emargination along the inner margin.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Immature fruit narrowly fusiform, ±11 mm. long and 4 mm. broad, glabrous.
[FTEA]

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/47348015/47348024

Conservation
LC - least concern
[IUCN]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • IUCN Categories

    • IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0