Impatiens mahengeensis Grey-Wilson

Balsaminaceae, C. Grey-Wilson. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1993

Habit

Glabrous perennial herb up to 30 cm. tall; stems decumbent, rooting at the lower nodes, green flushed with pink or red.

Leaves

Leaves spirally arranged, deep green above, pale green beneath; petiole 1–6.2 cm. long, slender; lamina ovate to ovate-lanceolate or ovate-elliptic, 2–10.2 cm. long, 1.5–5 cm. broad, the base ± rounded or somewhat attenuate into the petiole, the apex acuminate, often shortly apiculate; lateral veins 3–7 pairs, linked together by a loose network of secondary veins; margin shallowly crenate, the crenations 4–10 mm. apart.

Flowers

Flowers solitary, epedunculate, borne in the axils of the uppermost leaves, mid to deep pink, whitish at the base of the lateral united petals and with a white spur.

Calyx

Lateral sepals 2, oblong, 5–6 mm. long, shortly apiculate. Lower sepal shallowly and rather obliquely navicular, 1.1–1.5 cm. long, abruptly constricted into a 4.4–6.1 cm. long, curved filiform spur, gradually tapering to the tip.

Corolla

Dorsal petal suborbicular, 12–17 mm. long, 16–20 mm. broad, emarginate, with a shallow crest on the posterior side. Lateral united petals 18–24 mm. long, the upper and lower petals of each pair about equal in size; upper petal broadly elliptic to kidney-shaped, 17–20 mm. long, 10–14 mm. broad, entire; lower petal broadly oval, 16–20 mm. long, 10–15 mm. broad, with a slight emargination distally along the inner margin.

Ovary

Ovary glabrous.

Fruits

Fruit unknown.

Habitat

Deeply shaded areas in rain-forest, particularly on stream banks or rocks, occasionally on fallen mossy branches; 1100–1300 m.

Distribution

T6 not known elsewhere