Impatiens edgeworthii Hook.f. (Unresolved), Fl. Brit. India 1: 476 1875. ;
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Tall robust annual herb, up to 70 cm tall, branched, glabrous; leaves concentrated towards top, large, 6-20 cm long, elliptic, long-acuminate, crenate-serrate, serrations tipped with glandular bristles; flowers yellow, streaked red in throat, 25-30 mm long, in subterminal racemes on up to 10 cm long peduncle; pedicel 10-12 mm long; bracts broadly ovate, 2-3 mm long, keeled; lateral sepals large, green, rounded3-5 mm long, apiculate, crested in middle; lower sepal narrowly funnel-shaped, gradually narrowed into 20-30 mm long recurved spur; upper petal orange, rounded with green crest, bilobed at tip; lateral united petals with rounded wings, whitish towards tip; capsule erect, linear, up to 2.5 cm long.
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Keys to distinguish between Impatiens tricornis Lindl. and Impatiens edgeworthii Hook. f. : 7 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (3) The darker yellow color form of Impatiens tricornis can be/is confused with Impatiens edgeworthii because of near similar yellow color but the key differences between the two species are –
1) In I. edgeworthii upper lobes of lateral united petals are prolonged and obliquely upwards while in I. tricornis these are much broader and never curves upward.
2) In I. edgeworthii lower sepal is infundibuliform, gradually narrowed into a long recurved spur while in I.tricornis it is bucciniform to funnel-shaped and abruptly constricted into the spur.
3) The flower of I. edgeworthii is streaked red in the throat including upper lobe and half lower lobe of lateral united petal while in I. tricornis it is never streaked red though some rusty spots occur in the throat.
4) I. edgeworthii is glabrous including its capsules while I.tricornis is much hairy (pubescent) in nature though in lower altitude its less hairy form with much white flower also occurs but capsule remains puberulent in that also.
Please see the attached images for clearing differences …
Note – Most(not all) of the Impatiens scabrida DC. that we know earlier is actually Impatiens tricornis Lindl. characterised by its bucciniform to funnel-shaped lower sepal abruptly constricted into the spur while in true I. scabrida DC. lower sepal is navicular and tapers into a spur. That means I.scrabida and I edgeworthii are syn of I.tricornis, is it ? No … Impatiens scabrida DC., Impatiens tricornis Lindl. and Impatiens edgeworthii Hook.f. all three are distinct species and accepted names… In this post i have cleared a lot of major differences between Impatiens tricornis and Impatiens edgeworthii.
Impatiens tricornis is much variable species with dark yellow flowers and hairy plant in higher altitude and also white flowers with very less hairy plant form in lower altitudes... Please go through the paper of Dr. Shinobu Akiyama mam ‘Studies of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) of Nepal 3. Impatiens scabrida and Allied Species’ there you can find good illustrations and much details to distinguish I. tricornis and I. scabrida…
Most of the post on our group under name I.scabrida is actually I. tricornis. however i am currently checking if there is any image of true I. scabrida DC. present on our group or not… Thanks … for key and attachments. The crucial question is whether our specimens with suddenly tapered lower sepal is I. scabrida or I. tricornis if we treat them distinct species. the confusion all along has been status of I. tricornis. If we believe (as per Paper by Shinobu Akiyama and Hideaki Ohba) that specimens with “Lower sepal navicular or infundibuliform, 9–12 mm long, 5.5–8 mm deep (excluding the spur), tapering into a long upwardly or downwardly curved spur; spur 17–25 mm in overall length” are I. scabrida (No known Indian distribution according to these authors), and “Lower sepal pale yellow shaded with dull orange, bucciniform, (9–)15–18 mm long, (13–)20–25 mm deep (excluding the spur), abruptly constricted into incurved spur; spur curved, (8–)15–23 mm in overall length” is I. tricornis, we need to have key separating I. edgeworthii and I. scabrida as per new interpretation of these authors. This only will settle the matter for all. Until we have key separating all three matter can’t be solved. Balsaminaceae, Geraniaceae and Oxalidaceae Week: Balsaminaceae-Impatiens edgeworthii from Kashmir-GS-10 : 5 images. 8 posts by 8 authors. Syn: Impatiens chrysantha Hook. f.
Tall robust annual herb, up to 70 cm tall, branched, glabrous; leaves concentrated towards top, large, 6-20 cm long, elliptic, long-acuminate, crenate-serrate, serrations tipped with glandular bristles; flowers yellow, streaked red in throat, 25-30 mm long, in subterminal racemes on up to 10 cm long peduncle; pedicel 10-12 mm long; bracts broadly ovate, 2-3 mm long, keeled; lateral sepals large, green, rounded3-5 mm long, apiculate, crested in middle; lower sepal narrowly funnel-shaped, gradually narrowed into 20-30 mm long recurved spur; upper petal orange, rounded with green crest, bilobed at tip; lateral united petals with rounded wings, whitish towards tip; capsule erect, linear, up to 2.5 cm long.
Common in forest areas in Kashmir and along streams. Spectacular. Thanks … for another interesting upload. Recently (2001) found in Germany. Described there as robust plant upto 180 cm! What is more puzzling intermingled are growing plants with yellow, white and pale violet flowers…
Till now I have seen only photographs, but if I only have chance, I will go this mere 1000 km to see it personally.
Anybody seen plants with this shape of lateral petals and pale violet color somewhere in Himalayas, Karakorum, etc.? I am very glad to see that Indian botanists are becoming aware of Impatiens edgeworthii as a problem. Last year in Central Germany about 1 million of this species did grow in Central Germany, most of them in the Leinawald (Leina forest) near Altenburg. From the beginning I was aware the descriptions of this species in the Flora of Pakistan and elsewhere did not agree with what we are seeing in Germany. I did publish on the ecology http://www.v-weiss.de/Impatiens-edgeworthii.pdf or botanischer-verein-sachsen-anhalt.de.pdf and a monograph on Impatiens species in Central Europe, see amazon
I did upload a number of additional pictures of Impatiens edgeworthii from Germany to my twitter and facebook accounts. From my point of view, to solve the riddle of this and related species finally, it would be necessary to make controlled experiments and crossings with seed from Kashmir and Germany. However, until now did find any partners for cooperation in India or Pakistan. why is this old case coming up now? i dont see anything new!!!! why is this old case coming up now? Quite right, because there is anything new since 2013. cooperation across borders on genetic materials is a sensitive issue among governments, at least that’s how i understand. one must contact proper authorities thru proper channels. i don’t think individual worker can say yea or nay . Sorting our I. edgeworthii/scabrida/tricornis populations: I. edgeworthii from Kashmir : 6 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (4)
Let me thank both …, for giving me the hope that we may have I. scabrida occurring in our region and … for keeping the thread alive.Let me first point out basic difference which separates I. edgeworthii from nearly 50 next species in BSI Flora of India (luckily I had purchased few years back) i.ei “Basal lobe of wings produced upwards anteriorly into decurved lobules” and most parts of plant including capsule grabrous. This is clearly seen in my Kashmir specimens attached here. This Flora published in 1997 though totally ignorant about the name I. tricornis (not even in synonyms) does correctly record navicular lower sepal and other features of hairy stems, leaves and fruits, that should help us separate the rest of specimens. I will be discussing the populations separately.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
This plant was photographed from Baramulla Kashmir, alt. approx. 1600 m on June 24, 2010.
Impatiens edgeworthii for sure. Look the same like material from Germany https://www.korina.info/arten/buntes-springkraut/ Let me plunge into the discussion, with entries from Kullu, which I believe to represent Impatiens edgeworthii.. (3 images attached here) I do had submitted both I. scabrida
(see efi thread)
and also I. scabrida/tricornis
Let us see what the experts have to say..
Attachments (3)
Impatiens sp for ID –Sainj Ropa at GHNP – PKA24 : 4 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (4).
Seen this Impatiens sp. at Sainj Ropa at GHNP at the altitude of approx 1600m. Impatiens edgeworthii I also think this one is yellow-flowered form of I. edgeworthii
Impatiens Sp. for ID…en-route Rolla- GHNP- PKA36 : 3 posts by 2 authors. Attachments (5). This Impatiens sp. was seen en-route Rolla at GHNP at an altitude of approx 1700m. Yes this is Impatiens edgeworthii – please notice rather narrow upper lateral petals, spreading far from the center. Nice side shot with green crest on the upper petal. There could be also white or partially white and partially yellow forms.
This species was found in Germany dozen or so years ago and is spreading. Fwd: Impatiens photographed at Dalhousie, H.P. : 5 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (5)
Here with some images of a colourful and attractive balsam snapped a few years ago at c. 2200m at Dalhousie growing in shady ditches beside the road leading to the town’s Public School.
Hopefully the Impatiens experts can suggest an identification or even a firm determination from the images provided.
This time it was easy – this is I. edgeworthii with characteristic spread lobes of upper lateral petals.
Compare pictures from Germany, where this species is spreading since beginning of XXI century:
Impatiens edgeworthii | Korina Thanks for the DETERMINATION as Impatiens edgeworthii.
I think it would be useful for all members of this group to INSPECT the range of images posted of
the SAME species on eFI. See: /species/a—l/b/balsaminaceae/impatiens/impatiens-edgeworthii
They illustrate well INFRA-SPECIFIC variation. To the un-trained eye/those unfamiliar with the genus IMPATIENS, some of the specimens photographed would appear to be DISTIINCT taxa – whether at varietal, subs-species or perhaps even species level…..
Stewart knew this large ‘yellow’-flowered species as very common in Kashmir @ 1500-2700m; he recognised a var. toppinii Hk.f. from Chitral on the basis of verticillate leaves.
Lancaster recorded this species from Gulmarg during a botanical tour in Kashmir.
According to ‘Flowers of the Himalaya’ this species is found at streamsides, rocks & grazing grounds @ 1500-2700m but only from Pakistan to Kashmir – making the Dalhousie population an extension of its range. I CERTAINLY would not say the description of this species in this guide matches the specimens I saw at Dalhousie.
But I note the images from the GHNP on eFI which is also in H.P., extending its range further.
Given the challenges involved in ACCURATELY AND RELIABLY identifying Impatiens, I suggest the ranges of individual species of this genus are poorly known in the Indian Himalaya. I also consider that more recently described species, assuming they are valid, CANNOT, as yet, be meaningfully assessed as to rarity or abundance, since so few botanists can distinguish such species from existing ones and extensive surveys have not taken place. Being described in more recent decades does not automatically mean they are rare, let alone, ‘endangered’.
According to Balsaminaceae in Flora of Pakistan (Y.Nasir, 1980) the TYPE specimen at Kew is from Kundau & Beas Valley – which is H.P., so Polunin & Stainton clearly got its distribution wrong in ‘Flowers of the Himalaya’.
Nasir describes it as one of the commonest balsams (in Pakistan and Kashmir), gregarious in shady & open places from 1800-3000m. Morphologically very variable with the TYPE specimen differing from Pakistani plants in the subserrate leaves, larger lateral sepals (up to c. 8mm) and the gland-tipped bracts. Apparently small-flowered forms of this species, often more branched occur frequently with ‘normal’ plants. Collections from Dir in Pakistan were described in various manuscripts as separate species but Hooker never published these ‘species’.
Interesting that this species has naturalised in Germany. It was not known to have naturalised in the UK by the time ‘Flora of the British
Isles’ was first published in 1962. Nor by publication of ‘New Flora of British Isles’ in 1997. Although Impatiens balfourii had been (briefly). I can add that in 2015 I. edgeworthii was found in Netherlands for first time
FLORON Verspreidingsatlas | Impatiens edgeworthii. .
Impatiens edgeworthii in Europe: I. edgeworthii, coming from Western and Central Himalayas and rather rare in cultivation was found as spontaneous plant in Germany.
Baade H., Gutte P. 2008. Impatiens edgeworthii Hook. f. – ein für Deutschland neues Springkraut. Braunschweiger Geobotanische Arbeiten 9: 55-63. (in German)
However, there are some differences between descriptions in Flora of Pakistan and description given by German authors:
1) Nasir in FoP gives height 25-60 cm, whereas Baade and Gutte upto 180 cm!
2) Hooker f. gives color of flowers as yellow and red, Nasir as yellow streaked red in the throat, whereas Baade and Gutte give much broader spectrum: yellow, yellow-white, whitish and pale violet
3) Nasir gives two forms – one with bigger flowers and another with flowers much smaller
4) Some plants have flowers heavily streaked, some only very weakly (see pictures). Plant seems to be very variable.
Pictures:
If anybody has personal experience 🙂 with I. edgeworthii, please contact me
My photographs are already on Flowers of India.
I am attaching some more views from same population in Baramulla Kashmir, alt. 1600 m.
Here are my other uploads that may interest you:
In the mean time would it not be good idea to devote 2-3 days exclusively to this genus wherein members can upload all their collections Impatiens, to have them critically examined by you. Or else it may run concurrent with Brassicaceae week early November with separate subject line “Impatiens uploads:……………….(name/ID code for unknown sp.) from ……………(place)” many thanks for your interest and idea of uploading Impatiens pics.
Please remember that I live and work far away from diversity centers of Impatiens (Poland) and have limited access to Indian floristic and taxonomic literature.
I can try my best, but I know only few species, big part of these only from pictures. I have got information from Germany that plants of I. edgeworthii with yellow, white and pale violet flowers grow intermingled and there are no differences in morphology between differet flower colors.
Till now all pictures from native distribution known to me show plants with yellow, yellow-white or white flowers. Is there anybody who knows plants with morphology of I. edgeworthii and pale violet flowers? I. edgeworthii, coming from Western and Central Himalayas and rather rare in cultivation was found as spontaneous plant in Germany. Baade H., Gutte P. 2008. Impatiens edgeworthii Hook. f. – ein für Deutschland neues Springkraut. Braunschweiger Geobotanische Arbeiten 9: 55-63. (in German)
However, there are some differences between descriptions in Flora of Pakistan and description given by German authors:
1) Nasir in FoP gives height 25-60 cm, whereas Baade and Gutte upto 180 cm!
2) Hooker f. gives color of flowers as yellow and red, Nasir as yellow streaked red in the throat, whereas Baade and Gutte give much broader spectrum: yellow, yellow-white, whitish and pale violet
3) Nasir gives two forms – one with bigger flowers and another with flowers much smaller
4) Some plants have flowers heavily streaked, some only very weakly (see pictures). Plant seems to be very variable.
I am very glad to see that Indian botanists are becoming aware of Impatiens edgeworthii as a problem. Last year in Central Germany about 1 million of this species did grow in Central Germany, most of them in the Leinawald (Leina forest) near Altenburg. From the beginning I was aware the descriptions of this species in the Flora of Pakistan and elsewhere did not agree with what we are seeing in Germany. I did publish on the ecology http://www.v-weiss.de/Impatiens-edgeworthii.pdf or botanischer-verein-sachsen-anhalt.de.pdf and a monograph on Impatiens species in Central Europe, see Amazon I did upload a number of additional pictures of Impatiens edgeworthii from Germany to my twitter and facebook accounts. From my point of view, to solve the riddle of this and related species finally, it would be necessary to make controlled experiments and crossings with seed from Kashmir and Germany. However, until now did find any partners for cooperation in India or Pakistan. . References:
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