Introduction
Impatiens elegans – the elegant balsam is a common, yet beautiful species of Balsam found in the Western Ghats of India. It is during the bountiful monsoon months these beautiful plants erupt in abundance and decorate the forest floor, streams and small waterfalls that run through the forests with pretty pink flowers.
Taxonomy
Order : Ericales
Family : Balsaminaceae
Genus : Impatiens
Species : elegans
Distribution
It is found only in the two states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala of India and nowhere else in the world. It grows above the elevation of 1200 meters above sea level and is found up to 1800 meters above sea level. Impatiens elegans is endemic to the Southern Western Ghats. They are found only to the south of Palghat pass. Their range starts from the Nelliyampathy and Anamalai hills and extends up to Agasthiyamalai Hills in the South.
Description
Habit and Habitat
It is a herb that grows up to a height of 30 to 40 cm. It grows near streams, on rocks constantly dripping with water, in the forest floor among leaf litter where it is constantly moist. It prefers to grow in cool, shaded, damp places of the forest where it gets almost a constant dripping of water. Thus, moist evergreen forests occurring at elevations above 1200 MSL support this plant. Wherever the conditions are just right for its survival, it grows in abundance and in huge colonies!
Stem
The stem is erect and branched. The stem roots whenever a node touches the soil. The stem is glabrous, i.e., without hairs. The stem is usually translucent, like glass and succulent. If you crush the stem, it will be very watery which suggests that the plant needs abundant water to thrive well.
Leaves
Leaves are ovate, cordate (heart-shaped at the base). The leaf margin is crenate (with curved tooth) with incurved bristles. The leaves are arranged in an alternate manner on the stems. The leaves may be hairy on nerves on the upper surface and pale and hairless on the lower surface.
Flowers
Each peduncle bears 3 to 5 flowers in short umbels or short raceme like inflorescence. The flowers are about 2.5 cm across, pale pink to pink with a purple center. Bracts are ovate-lanceolate, tapering towards the end and recurved. The lateral sepals are ovate with a green ridge ending in an acumen (a sharp tapering point).
The lip (you have to turn the flower behind to see this) is boat-shaped, very small. The flower lacks a spur. This is an important character to distinguish Impatiens elegans from Impatiens cordata which has a spur. Other than this, both the plants look exactly the same. You can differentiate both these species with the absence and presence of spur (a tail-like appendage that extends from the lip) respectively.
Fruits
Fruits are inflated capsules with seeds. The capsules are ovoid, elliptical, ridged, beaked, bulged in the middle, green, hairless, about 1.2 cm in length. The seeds are sub-spherical and hairy.
When mature, these are ready to burst anytime just with a light touch. This can even be done by a raindrop! The capsule bursts catapulting the seeds away from the mother plant.
Conservation status and threats
Impatiens elegans is an endangered plant where it faces threats from loss of habitats. The habitats in which this plant grows are unfortunately best suited for tea and coffee plantations. There is huge pressure from the private tea plantations extending their area by destroying their habitat. These delicate plants already face huge pressure from climate change, failing monsoons and lack of pollinators, poor seed germination, flowers and leaves eaten by herbivore insects, and more from nature! Destruction of habitats is yet another death blow to the survival of these plants. It is necessary to preserve their habitats and preserve these species…
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