Why in news?

• Impatiens Rajibiana is a newly discovered species of balsam flower belonging to the family Balsaminaceae.
• It was discovered recently in the natural forests of Shergaon in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, India, at an elevation of over 2,000 meters. 

About Impatiens Rajibiana

• The plant grows in moist, shaded forest areas at an elevation above 2,000 meters.
• Arunachal Pradesh is a biodiversity hotspot and has seen the discovery of over 16 new balsam species recently, including Impatiens godfreyi and Impatiens sashinborthakurii.
• Impatiens rajibiana adds to the rich floral diversity of the eastern Himalayas and reinforces the need for conservation of these ecologically important habitats.
• The discovery was led by Dr. Krishna Chowlu and her research team at BSI.
• The species is unique to the Shergaon region, and its identification involved detailed morphological and molecular studies.

This finding highlights Arunachal Pradesh’s ecological uniqueness and biodiversity richness as part of the Eastern Himalaya Biodiversity Hotspot.

Download Pdf