Impatiens platypetala Lindley
Family
Balsaminaceae
Synonyms
Balsamina sumatrana Miq.
Vernacular Names
|
Indonesia |
Pacar leuweung, pacar tere (Sundanese), pacar banyu (Javanese). |
Geographical Distributions
Impatiens platypetala is widely distributed in Southeast Asia, common in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Description
Impatiens platypetala is a perennial herb that can grow up to 30-100 cm tall and it is erect or decumbent.
The leaves are arranged 3-whorled but sometimes opposite, ovate to ovate-elliptical, measure 6-11.5 cm x 1-3.5 cm, attenuate at base, acute to acuminate at apex, with shallowly serrate margins and petiole 0.7-2.8 cm long .
The flowers are solitary, with slender pedicel and 4-6.5 cm long. The lateral sepals are lance-shaped to ovate, 7-12 mm long and acuminate. The lower sepal is shallowly navicular, 8-12 mm long, abruptly constricted into a curved, with slender spur 20-40 mm long, and whitish or greenish. The petals are flat and obcordate. The dorsal petal measures 11-14 mm x 7-9 mm while the lateral petals are 19-21 mm long and they are shallowly emarginated. The upper pair is slightly smaller than the lower pair. The petal is either pink, rose, purple, violet, white, or white with a coloured eye.
The capsule is spindle-shaped, measures 16-18 mm x 4-5 mm and smooth.
Ecology / Cultivation
Impatiens platypetala is a variable species, and occurs in lowlands and montane forests, growing in gullies, along streams, in damp, shaded and semi-shaded localities, forest clearings, often gregarious, at 100-1600 m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
1. Plant Resources of South-East Asia No.12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2.
