Impatiens psittacina

Overview

The primary Myanmar revision describes a smooth annual herb with an erect purple stem and spirally arranged, serrate oval leaves. Pendent axillary inflorescences bear two flowers. The flower includes a deep chamber narrowing into a short hooked spur, a pale dorsal petal and joined lateral petals with pink lower lobes. The authors record colour differences between Myanmar and Thai populations; the selected green-spurred form is not a universal colour pattern.

A comparative pollination study observed bumblebees entering Impatiens psittacina flowers for nectar. On departure, pollen contacted the dorsal thorax beneath their opening wings. Some bumblebees sometimes pierced the spur externally and took nectar without pollinating. That distinction separates effective pollination from merely visiting a flower; the study's local observations do not make every recorded visitor an effective pollinator or establish an exclusive relationship everywhere.

Kew accepts this species in Balsaminaceae, with a native range from northeastern Myanmar to northern Thailand and a primarily seasonally dry tropical habitat.

Origins & earliest records

Its accepted botanical name and original publication date do not date its ancestry.

Evidence & interpretation

Retained scientific and institutional passages.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Balsaminaceae of Myanmar

   S. Ruchisansakun and colleagues

2. 02

   Floral specialization for different pollinators and divergent use of the same pollinator among co-occurring Impatiens species (Balsaminaceae) from Southeast Asia

   Saroj Ruchisansakun and colleagues

3. 03

   Impatiens psittacina

   Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

Family & connections

A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. Primary taxonomic revisionMyanmar Balsaminaceae revisionResearch access: 2026-10-12
2. Primary pollination studyImpatiens comparative pollinationResearch access: 2026-10-12
3. Institutional taxonomic accountImpatiens psittacinaResearch access: 2026-10-12

Image credits

Modern AI botanical interpretation of selected green spurred Impatiens.

Modern AI botanical interpretation of a selected green-spurred form; fine floral parts are schematic.