Great blue Impatiens from Tibet

'Blue Diamond' Impatiens - Impatiens namchabarwensis

This new species was discovered in the Namchabarwa canyon in Tibet in the summer of 2003 by Yuan Yong-Ming and Ge Xue-Jun.

It was growing at an altitude of 930 m in a very limited area.

It is a 40–50 cm tall perennial, overwintering by a thick fleshy rootstock.

Stems are much branched, slightly woody at base; lower stems decumbent, often rooting at nodes.

Flowers are bright ultramarine blue, with small white markings at center and yellow in throat.

It has explosive seedpods, like the other species of the Balsaminaceae family.

Seeds are brown when ripe, ca. 1 mm.

This species are very rare.

Egil J. Skarning
April 2006