Balsams of Arunachal Pradesh

The family Balsaminaceae comprises two genera, Hydrocera (a monotypic genus) and the prolific Impatiens (popularly referred as the balsams or “jewelweeds”). Impatiens Linnaeus (1753: 937) is one of the largest and fast growing genera of angiosperms, comprising over 900 recognized species distributed worldwide, except in Latin America (Chen et al. 2008).India is represented by around 210 species and are mainly confined in the Himalayas, Northeast India and the Western Ghats (Hooker 1908, Vivekananthan et al.1997, Bhaskar 2012). The state of Arunachal Pradesh comprises 57 species of Impatiens (Below mentioned literatures).

1. Impatiens adamowskiana Gogoi & Borah, Arunachal Pradesh, Lower Dibang Valley district, from Mayodia to point 65 on the way to Hunli, endemic

2. Impatiens albopetala Gogoi & Borah, Endemic to Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh

3. Impatiens anjawensis Borah, Kandwal, G.M.Chhetri & Gogoi, Arunachal Pradesh, Anjaw district, Walong

4. Impatiens arguta Hook.f. & Thomson, Found in almost whole of Northeastern India including Arunachal Pradesh.

5. Impatiens arunachalensis Hareesh, A.Joe, M.Sabu & Gogoi, Arunachal Pradesh (Upper Siang district)

6. Impatiens ashihoi Gogoi & Borah, Arunachal Pradesh (Lower Dibang valley district)

7. Impatiens bracteolata Hook. f., Eastern Himalaya, ca. 1500–2200 m. Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Nagaland, endemic

8. Impatiens chungtienensis Y.L., Arunachal Pradesh (West Kameng & Tawang District)

9. Impatiens citrina Hook. f., Endemic to Lohit and Anjaw district, Arunachal Pradesh

10. Impatiens cyclosepala Hook.f. ex W.W.Sm., East Kameng (Venia villag, Yakali) and West Kameng (Mandala) district of Arunachal Pradesh

11. Impatiens dalaiensis Gogoi & Borah, Arunachal Pradesh (Anjaw district)

12. Impatiens dibangensis Gogoi & Borah, Arunachal Pradesh , endemic to Lower Dibang Valley district

13. Impatiens dorjeekhandui Chowlu, S. S. Dash & Gogoi, Zimithang area of Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh with a good population

14. Impatiens drepanophora Hook.f., Arunachal Pradesh (65th Point, Mayodia, Lower Dibang Valley district; Above Yajali, Lower Subansiri district; East and West Siang district)

15. Impatiens duclouxii Hook.f., Arunachal Pradesh, Jamiri, West Kameng district

16. Impatiens fugongensis K.M.Liu & Y.Y.Cong, Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh

17. Impatiens gammiei Hook.f., Endemic to Eastern Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh (West Kameng)

18. Impatiens haridasanii Hareesh & M.Sabu, I. haridasanii is an endemic species known only from Pongchau, Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh

19. Impatiens idumishmiensis Gogoi, W.Adamowski, Borah & G.M.Chhetri, Arunachal Pradesh, Lower Dibang Valley district, ahead of 15 km towards Hunli from 65 point, Mayodia

20. Impatiens jurpia Buch.-Ham. ex Hook. f. & Thomson, India: all the states of NE India

21. Impatiens laevigata var. grandifolia Hook.f., Arunachal Pradesh (Lohit)

22. Impatiens laevigata Wall. ex Hook.f. & Thomson, Arunachal Pradesh (Changlang, Kameng, Papumpare, Siang, Subansiri)

23. Impatiens latiflora Hook.f. & Thomson, Arunachal Pradesh (Tropical areas )

24. Impatiens lohitensis R. Gogoi & S. Borah, Arunachal Pradesh (Lohit district, Tirap district, Changlang and probably also in Upper Dibang Valley district), endemic

25. Impatiens longipes Hook.f. & Thomson, Arunachal Pradesh (Menchukha, West Siang)

26. Impatiens marianae Reichb.f. ex Hook.f., Arunachal Pradesh (East Siang & Changlang District)

27. Impatiens nicolsoniana Gogoi & Arisdason, Arunachal Pradesh (Changlang & Tirap district)

28. Impatiens nilalohitae Hareesh & M.Sabu, Impatiens nilalohitae is known only from the Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh, between Tiwari Gaon and Mayodia

29. Impatiens paramjitiana Gogoi & Borah, Arunachal Pradesh (West Siang district), endemic, only one small population was encountered in the type locality

30. Impatiens parkinsonii C.E.CFisch., Arunachal Pradesh (Tirap District)

31. Impatiens pathakiana Gogoi & Borah, Arunachal Pradesh (Chaglagam, Dalai Valley, Anjaw District), endemic

32. Impatiens porrecta Wall. ex Hook.f. & Thomson, Arunachal Pradesh (Subansiri, Kurung Kumay, Changlang, Papumpare & Tirap districts)

33. Impatiens prainii Hook.f., Arunachal Pradesh (Yarlung, West Siang District)

34. Impatiens pseudocitrina Hareesh, M.Sabu & Gogoi, Arunachal Pradesh (known only from Samdal between Hayuliang and Walong, Anjaw district with a population of about hundred individuals

35. Impatiens pseudolaevigata Gogoi, B.B.T.Tham & Lidén, Arunachal Pradesh (Nichifu, West Kameng District), endemic. The species is encountered in three places with populations of many individuals and no threat of existence is apparent.

36. Impatiens pulchra Hook.f. & Thomson, Arunachal Pradesh

37. Impatiens pyrorhiza Lidén & Bharali, Impatiens pyrorhiza grows in West Arunachal Pradesh, Tawang and West Kameng districts

38. Impatiens racemosa DC., Arunachal Pradesh (Tawang, West Kameng district)

39. Impatiens radiata Hook.f., Arunachal Pradesh

40. Impatiens rugosipetala Gogoi & Borah, Arunachal Pradesh (Mayodia Pass, Lower Dibang Valley district), the species is known only from its type locality.

41. Impatiens scitula Hook. f., Arunachal Pradesh (Yarlung, Menchukha, West Kameng)

42. Impatiens siangensis Gogoi, Arunachal Pradesh (East Siang District), endemic

43. Impatiens siculifera Hook.f., Arunachal Pradesh (Salangam to Hawa Camp, Lohit district)

44. Impatiens spirifera Hook. f. & Thomson, Arunachal Pradesh (Lower Dibang Valley district)

45. Impatiens stenantha Hook.f., Arunachal Pradesh (Lower Dibang Valley, Upper Dibang Valley & Tawang district)

46. Impatiens tatoensis Gogoi & W.Adamowski, Arunachal Pradesh (West Siang district), endemic

47. Impatiens toppinii Dunn, Arunachal Pradesh (near the periphery of Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary, Lohit district; three populations of more than 200 individuals were observed)

48. Impatiens tricornis Lindl., Arunachal Pradesh (Taweng & West Kameng district)

49. Impatiens trilobata Colebr., Arunachal Pradesh (West Kameng)

50. Impatiens tripetala Roxb. ex DC., Common in all the states of NE India

51. Impatiens tropaeolifolia Griff. ex Hook.f., Arunachal Pradesh (Lohit & Anjaw District)

52. Impatiens uncipetala C.B.Clarke ex Hook.f., Arunachal Pradesh (Lower Dibang Valley district)

53. Impatiens urticifolia Wall. in Roxb., Arunachal Pradesh (West Siang district)

54. Impatiens vidyae R.C. Srivast., Arunachal Pradesh (Kurung Kumay district), endemic

55. Impatiens walongensis Hareesh, M.Sabu & Borah, Impatiens walongensis is known to occur only from near Nangala bridge, Walong, Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh

56. Impatiens xanthina H.F.Comber, Arunachal Pradesh (Anjaw & Lower Dibang Valley district)

57. Impatiens zironiana Gogoi, Hareesh & W.Adamowski, Arunachal Pradesh (Lower Subansiri district), endemic