Balsams of Eastern Himalaya- A Regional Revision

Impatiens, commonly known as Balsams or “Jewelweeds” belong to the family Balsaminaceae are annual and perennial herbs. The genus with more than 1000 species is mainly distributed in Africa, North America, India, Sino-Himalayan region and SE Asia. The plants are mainly succulent, and with beautiful flowers, one of the prized horticultural valued plant. In India, the genus is represented with around 249 species, out of which 177 species are endemic, with the highest concentrations in two hotspots of India, i.e. Eastern Himalaya and Western Ghats. Eastern Himalaya with diverse climatic conditions, varied topography and ecosystem diversity is known as a centre of primary diversification of the genus Impatiens.

Balsams of Eastern Himalaya: A Regional Revision presents a detailed taxonomic account of 84 taxa, of which 43 species from Arunachal Pradesh, and 24 species from Sikkim. The book is supplemented with detailed description, photo-plates showing the details of the habit, floral parts, and also a key based on the field characters for easy identification. This work is first of its kind in the genus Impatiens L. from the Eastern Himalaya.

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