Impatiens burtonii Hook.f.

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

Habit

Prostrate, decumbent or ± erect perennial to 2 m. tall, though often less; stems rooting at the lower nodes, glabrous or pubescent above, or glabrescent.

Leaves

Leaves spirally arranged; petiole (0.2–)0.4–5 cm. long, slender; lamina ovate to ovate-oblong or elliptic-lanceolate, 0.9–14(–16) cm. long, 0.6–5.7(–6) cm. broad, the base rounded to subtruncate or cuneate, the apex usually shortly acuminate, more rarely subobtuse, finely pubescent on both surfaces or glabrous beneath; lateral veins 3–10 pairs; margin ± crenulate, with a few ± 1 mm. fimbriae towards the base.

Flowers

Flowers in axillary fascicles of 1–3, epedunculate, white or pale pink.

Bracts

Bracts linear-subulate, 2–4 mm. long, inconspicuous.

Pedicel

Pedicels 1.8–7 cm. long, slender, glabrous or sparsely pubescent.

Calyx

Lateral sepals 2, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 1.5–5 mm. long, glabrous or pubescent. Lower sepal navicular, 7–13 mm. long, 4–7 mm. deep, ± abruptly constricted into a 5–23 mm. long curved or ± straight filiform spur, finely pubescent especially along the keel of the lower sepal, rarely entirely glabrous.

Corolla

Dorsal petal 7–12 mm. long, 4–7 mm. broad, cucullate, dorsally with a narrow crest terminating in a short acute point, glabrous or with a few short hairs along the crest. Lateral united petals 13–33 mm. long, the upper petal of each pair ± one-third the size of the lower; upper petal ovate to ovate-elliptic, 6–10 mm. long, 3–7 mm. broad, entire or slightly apiculate; lower petal ovate to obovate or ± oblong, 10–20 mm. long, 7–14 mm. broad, with a slight emargination along the inner margin towards the top.

Ovary

Ovary glabrous.

Fruits

Fruit fusiform, 11–23 mm. long, 2.5–9 mm. broad, glabrous.