The researchers of Botanical Survey of India (BSI) have discovered a new species of plant from Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, Tamil Nadu.
- The plant has been named ‘Impatiens karuppusamyi’.
- The species is named after Dr. S Karuppusamy (Madhura College, Tamil Nadu) for his significant contributions to the taxonomy of south Indian angiosperms.
- The species shows similarity with its alike species Impatiens Bicornis, but differs from it in terms of having small leaves, six to eight flowered, short scape, and small flowers.
- It also has a conical spur that is horizontally straight with an obtuse tip; base of the anterior lobe with two purplish, fleshy and erect auriculate projections to 1 mm long; stout biseriate purplish-blue hairs in front of the mouth; and orange-pinkish pollen grains.
- There are more than 1000 species of Impatiens worldwide, of which more than 280 are found in India.
- It is distributed widely throughout tropical Africa, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka and China.
