Impatiens rajibiana:
A team of the Botanical Survey of India recently discovered ‘Impatiens rajibiana’, a new species of balsam flower.
- Impatiens rajibiana is a new species of balsam flower.
- It was discovered in the natural forests of Shergaon in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh.
- The plant was discovered growing in moist, shaded forest areas of Shergaon at an elevation of over 2,000 meters.
- It belongs to the family Balsaminaceae, commonly known as balsams.
- Many balsam species are endemic, occurring only in the region and often in limited numbers.
- India currently has around 230 known balsam species, including well-known varieties like Impatiens balsamina (garden balsam or touch-me-not).
- Between 2013 and 2017, over 16 new species were discovered in Arunachal Pradesh alone, including Impatiens godfreyi and Impatiens sashinborthakurii.
