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| Impatiens maolanensis Zhi-Bin Xiong & Q.Y.Wen, in Li, Wen, Wang, Huang, Xiong, Deng, Yi et Tang, 2025. |
Abstract
Impatiens maolanensis Z.B.Xiong & Q.Y.Wen (Balsaminaceae), a new species of Impatiens subg. Clavicarpa from Maolan National Nature Reserve, Guizhou, China, is described. The new species grows in a tiankeng (a large, naturally formed pit) connected to a dried-up underground river. I. maolanensis is similar to I. auriculata Chang Y. Xia & S. X. Yu, I. liboensis K. M. Liu & R. P. Kuang and I. tianlinensis S. X. Yu & L. J. Zhang, but differs from the latter three species in terms of orange-red flowers, roots, stems, bracts, dorsal petals, lateral sepals, lower sepals, pollen grains and seeds micromorphology. The micromorphological characteristics and surface patterning of pollen grains and seeds of the new species were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Pollen grains of I. maolanensis are triangular-round in polar view and elliptical in equatorial view. The pollen exine has an irregular and relatively smooth reticulate ornamentation, and under high magnification, granular protrusions can be observed. Seeds of I. maolanensis are black and narrowly ellipsoid. The seed coat has reticulate ornamentation with slightly sunken meshes, folded base, and granular protrusions within the meshes. Morphological and micromorphology evidence support the establishment of the new species. Our study provides detailed information on the new species, including morphological characteristics, phenology, photographs, palynology, seed micromorphology, etymology, habitat and distribution, and conservation assessment.
Key words: Balsaminaceae, morphology, new species, SEM, taxonomy
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| Habitat and morphology of Impatiens maolanensis Zhi-Bin Xiong & Q.Y.Wen, sp. nov. A–C habitat D plant E front view of flower F–H different views of flower I anatomy of flower J root K capsule L seed (Photographed by Zhi-Bin Xiong and Qin-Ying Wen). |
Impatiens maolanensis Zhibin Xiong & Qinying Wen, sp. nov.
Diagnosis. Impatiens maolanensis is similar to I. auriculata (Figs 2A–G, 3E–H, 4D–F), I. liboensis (Figs 2H–N, 3I–L, 4G–I) and I. tianlinensis (Zeng et al. 2015, 2016) but its characteristics are significantly different from the latter three species in terms of orange-red flowers, thick fibrous root, stem with leaf scars and nodes, petioles, sessile or nearly sessile, bracts, outer lateral sepals, dorsal petal, lower sepal, and fruit color (Table 1).
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Bai-Zhu Li, Qin-Ying Wen, Jin-Dong Wang, Xiao-Xiang Huang, Zhi-Bin Xiong, Zhi-Juan Deng, Yin Yi and Xiao-Xin Tang. 2025. Impatiens maolanensis (Balsaminaceae), A New Species of Impatiens in a tiankeng from Guizhou, China. PhytoKeys 254: 189-200. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.254.142981
