acaulis

Herbs, acaulescent, perennial; rhizomes horizontal, globose, tuber-like. Leaves radical, suborbicular to ovate or rarely elliptical or elliptic-lanceolate, cordate or rounded or truncate-attenuate at base, rounded to apiculate or subacute at apex, entire or crenate or serrate along margins, 1.5 - 10 x 1 - 10 cm, glabrous on both surfaces or pubescent above, lateral nerves 3 - 5 pairs; petiole 2 - 16 cm long. Inflorescence scapose, up to 35 cm long, 3-to many-flowered, rarely subumbellate, glabrous or rarely slightly pubescent. Flowers 3 cm across, deep-pink or mauve with white centre; pedicel 1 - 4.5 cm long, ascending in flower; bracts persistent, ovate-oblong to lanceolate, 2 - 4 mm long. Lateral sepals ovate, apiculate, 2 - 4 mm long, glabrous. Lip 5 - 8 mm long, abruptly constricted into a 2 - 5 cm long incurved filiform white spur, glabrous. Standard cucullate, 5 - 7 mm long. Wings 1.2 - 2.6 cm long, 2-lobed. Capsules narrowly fusiform or cylindric-fusiform, 8 - 10 x 2.5 x 5 mm, glabrous.

Fl. & Fr. July - Nov.

Distrib. S. India. Wet rocks on damp banks near streams and rivers or in the spray-zone of waterfalls mostly on perennially dripping rocks at 1000 - 2250 m in W. Ghats and Shevaroyhills (Yercaud). Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kefala.

Sri Lanka.

Notes. This species is often confused with Impatiens scapiflora Heyne ex Roxb. but differs in having larger pale pink flowers with wing petals 2-lobed. This species is rather rare in South India (except Maharashtra) and appears to be more common in Sri Lanka.

Chromosome no. n = 10 (Bhaskar in Taxon 25 (1): 155. 1976).

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