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| Impatiens alboarenicola Y.Fujimoto, Rabarison & Tagane., in Fujimoto, Tagane, Rabarison, Andriamahasetra, Komada et Kitajima, 2024. |
Abstract
A new species of Impatiens, I. alboarenicola (Balsaminaceae), is described and illustrated from Ankarafantsika National Park, north-western Madagascar. This species is similar to I. barthlottii and I. tsingycola in leaf and flower shape, but clearly distinguished from the former by its shorter stature, absence of a tuber at the stem base, solitary (rarely 2) flowers in the axils of leaves, and smaller flowers, and from the latter by its smaller leaf blades with fewer pairs of teeth on the dentate leaf margin, solitary (rarely 2) flowers in the axils of leaves, and saccate spur-like projection located at ca. 5 mm below the apex of the lower petal lobe of the lateral united petals (vs. at the apex of the lower petal lobe).
Key words: African flora, Ericales, plant taxonomy, seasonally dry tropical forest
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| Impatiens alboarenicola Y.Fujimoto, Rabarison & Tagane. A. Habitat. B. Habit. C. Entire plant body. D. Adaxial leaf surface. E. Hairs on an adaxial leaf surface. F. Abaxial leaf surface. G. Flower buds. H. Bract. I. Flower (front view, male stage). J. Flower (lateral view). K. Lateral sepals. L. Lower sepal with spur (lateral view). M. Lateral united petal (lateral view). N. Ovary. O. Fruits. P. Seeds. Photos: A and F–H from S. Tagane et al. A261; B from S. Tagane et al. A190; D from Y. Fujimoto A339; C, E, and I–P from Y. Fujimoto A340. Scale bars: C = 5 cm; I, J, and O = 5 mm; H, K–N, and P = 2 mm. Photographed by S. Tagane (A, B, and F–H), Y. Fujimoto (C–E and I–O), and W. Noyori (P). |
Impatiens alboarenicola Y.Fujimoto, Rabarison & Tagane, sp. nov.
Diagnosis:—Impatiens alboarenicola is similar to I. barthlottii Fischer & Rahelivololona (2007a: 272) of Madagascar in leaf and flower shape, but clearly distinguished from it by its shorter stature of 5.3–18.5 cm tall (vs. 20–70 cm tall in I. barthlottii), absence of a tuber at the stem base (vs. presence, with elongate tuber), solitary (rarely 2) flowers in the axils of leaves (vs. with 2 flowers), and smaller light purple to pale purple flowers of 1.3–1.8 cm long (vs. white, 2.3–2.5 cm long). It is also similar to I. tsingycola Fischer & Rahelivololona (2007a: 274) of Madagascar in its short stature, leaf shape, and petal colour, but different in having smaller leaf blades (7–)16–41(–64) mm long (vs. 55–81 mm long in I. tsingycola), (1–)7–9(–11) pairs of teeth on the dentate leaf margin (vs. 15–21 pairs), solitary (rarely 2) flowers in the axils of leaves (vs. 2–3 flowers), and saccate spur-like projection located at ca. 5 mm below the apex of the lower petal lobe of the lateral united petals (vs. at the apex of the lower petal lobe).
Etymology:—The epithet alboarenicola refers to the white sand habitat of the new species.
Vernacular name:—Kivolanala kely or rangy kely, suggested here. Kivolanala and rangy in Madagascar refer to Impatiens species. Kely means small, referring to the plant size of I. alboarenicola
Yutaro Fujimoto, Shuichiro Tagane, Harison Rabarison, Rova N. Andriamahasetra, Natsuki Komada and Kaoru Kitajima. 2024. Impatiens alboarenicola, A New Species of Balsaminaceae from north-western Madagascar. Phytotaxa. 650(3); 206-212. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.650.3.2