New Endangered Balsam Species Discovered in Kerala's Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve

Tags: Science and Technology

A new species of the genus Impatiens (family Balsaminaceae), named "Impatiens neo-uncinata," was discovered in the Agasthyamala biosphere reserve, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, during a floristic survey.

An Overview of the News

• The discovery was documented in the scientific journal Phytotaxa.

• "Impatiens neo-uncinata" shares morphological similarities with Impatiens uncinata but varies in flower size, basal and distal lobes, dorsal petal, and pollen.

• It features snowy white flowers with red stripes and relatively large blooms.

• The new species has only been observed in a single locality at elevations ranging from 1,000 to 1,250 meters and is classified as Endangered according to IUCN criteria.

• The genus Impatiens encompasses over 1000 species found in tropical and sub-tropical regions.

About Kerala

• Kerala, situated on India's Malabar Coast, boasts nearly 600km of Arabian Sea coastline.

• Famous for its palm-fringed beaches and intricate network of backwaters.

Capital - Thiruvananthapuram

Chief Minister - Pinarayi Vijayan

Districts - 14

Demonyms - Keralite, Malayali