Impatiens brachycentra Kar. & Kir.

This is our commonest and smallest flowered, almost spurless balsam; often gregarious in moist and shady places from 1900-3000 m. The opposite leaved variety (var. jacquemontii Hook. f.) has not been reported from our area so far, but may well occur.

Annual 15-40 cm tall, branched, glabrous. Leaves elliptic-ovate to ovate, 25-140 x 16-70 mm, serrate to subcrenate, base glandular stipitate; petiole up to 30 mm long, slender. Bracts 1-2 mm long, lanceolate. Flowers white, 4.5-6 mm long; pedicel up to 20 mm long, slender. Lateral sepals ovate, c. 1.5 mm long, spur c. 1 mm long, sometimes tinged yellow. Anterior petal orbicular-cuneate, 3-4 mm long; lateral united petals 5-6 mm long, dissimilar; lower ones prolonged. Capsule erect, cylindrical to subclavate, 12-22 mm long. Seeds 2.5-3 mm long, oblong, rugose.

Plants annual, 30-60 cm tall, with fibrous roots. Stem erect, succulent, branched or simple. Leaves alternate; petiole 1-2.5 cm; leaf blade elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 6-15 × 2-5 cm, lateral veins 5-7 pairs, base cuneate, margin crenate-serrate, teeth mucronulate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, racemose, 4-12-flowered; peduncles 5-10 cm. Pedicels slender, bracteate at base; bracts persistent, lanceolate, small. Flowers erect, whitish, very small. Lateral sepals 2, ovate, apex slightly obtuse. Lower sepal navicular, ca. 1 mm, narrowed into a short, triangular spur shorter than 1 mm. Upper petal broadly obovate; lateral united petals ± clawed, 2-lobed; basal lobes oblong; distal lobes broadly oblong, large. Anthers obtuse. Capsule linear-oblong, ca. 2 cm. Fl. Aug-Sep.

Distribution: C. Asia, Sinkiang and W. temperate Himalayas from Kumoan to Kashmir.

Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan].

Fl. Per.: July-Aug.

Forest understories on slopes, forest margins, along canals, mossy places; 800-2100 m.