UPSC Express

In focus: Impatiens in India

Introduction

• Impatiens is a group of about 1000 angiosperms (flowering plants) species.
• They are commonly known by different names including balsams, touch me not, jewel weed etc.

Distribution

• Impatiens is distributed in the tropical, sub-tropical and northern temperate regions of the world.
• It is found mainly in India, China and Africa and some parts of Europe and North America.

Balsams in India

• India is home to about 230 species of balsams with 2 balsam hotspots of the world namely
• Eastern Himalayas
• Western Ghats.
• According to latest study, Easter Himalayas is home to about 83 species of Balsam mainly in Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Sikkim.
• In Western Ghats it is mainly concentrated in Shola Forests of Silent Valley National Park, Nilgiris in Kerala.

Characteristics

• Balsam species are highly endemic and restricted to limited areas.
• They are called Impatiens because when pressed the curled up flowers throw up the seeds violently.
• Balsams being angiosperms are known for bright-coloured flowers and thus are important horticulture species.
• Being highly endemic, they are climate-sensitive species.

Habitat

• Balsams grow in rich moist soil.
• Thus they are confined to wet rocks of evergreen forests, waterfalls, roadside drains, banks of rivers etc.
• They grow best at altitudes of about 550m.
• Due to its climate-sensitivity, balsams cannot withstand high temperatures and long exposure to sunlight.