Impatiens aliciae


Impatiens aliciae C.E.C.Fisch., Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1934: 389 1934. ;

Images by E.S. Santhosh Kumar

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Annual herb, 20-35 cm high, often procumbent; stems branched; internodes 5-7 cm long. Leaves opposite, subsessile, linear-lanceolate, narrow at base, serrate at margin, apiculate at apex, 2-10 x 0.3-0.9 cm, glabrous or minutely papillose-hispidulous above, glabrous and glaucous beneath, with 1-3 glandular teeth at lower margin. Flowers axillary, solitary or 2-nate, pink or white with purple streaks; pedicels capillary, 1.5-2 cm long, deflexed in fruit. Lateral sepals linear, ca 4 mm long. Lip cymbiform, ca 7 mm long; spur subsaccate, ca 3 mm long. Standard obovate, keeled, acute, 4-5 mm long. Wings 10-11 mm long, 2-lobed; basal lobe falcate; distal lobe obovate, larger; dorsal auricle filiform, 5-6 mm long, descending into spur. Capsules ellipsoid, acuminate, 10-11 mm long; seeds 10-20, subglobose, shining, black.     
Flowering and fruiting: July-September
Grassy slopes     
Southern Western Ghats
 

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Impatiens aliciae C.E.C. Fischer, Alice Balsam from Kerala.
This is named after Mrs Alice, wife of Dr Barnes, (Professor of Chemistry, Christian college) friends of Mr C E C Fischer of Late Indian Forest Service.