Tap. 7878. 

 BJPATIENS Balfoubii. 



Native of the North Western Himalaya. 



Nat. Ord. Geraniace^. — Tribe BalsaminejE. 

 Genus Impatiens, Linn.; (Benth. #• Hook.f. Gen. Plant, vol. i. p. 277.) 



Impatiens Balfourii ; herbacea, glaberrima, caule ramoso ramis obtuse 4-gonis, 

 foliis 3-5-pollicaribus breviter petiolatis ovato-lanceolatis lunge acuminatis 

 argute serrulatis dentibus recurvis minutis basin versus folii majuribus 

 palhde viridibus, nervis utrinque costas ad 8-10 nervulis transversia 

 striolatie, petiolo eglanduloao, glandulis stipularibus pulvinatis, pedun- 

 culis apices versus ramulorum subumbellatim laxe coufertis graciiibus 

 3— 4-pollicaribus roseis, racemis brevibus terminalibus simplicibus o-8-floriB, 

 bracteia £-} poll, longis ovato-lanceolatis caducis, pedicellis alternis 

 gracillimis £-1 poll. longis, floribus majusculis pallide roseis, sepalis 2 

 orbiculan-ovatis niucronatis j-g in. diam., vexillo orbiculari |-§ in. diam. 

 reflexo pallido, carina paullo iucrassata rosea, alis patulis f-l?- poll, longis 

 lobo basilari oblongo pallide aureo, terminali multo majore late dolabri- 

 formi apice rotundato laete roseo, labello l-lj-pollicari campanulato in 

 cornu lento incurvum apice obtusum sensira attenuato,capsulis erectis 1-1£ 

 poll, longis liuearibus pentagonis viridibus angulis rubris oligospermia, 

 seminibua oblongia |- £ poll, longis, testa crassiuscula striulato-puuctulata. 



I. Balfourii, Ilook.f. 



The beautiful Balsam here figured was raised from seed 

 sent by Mr. Duthie, F.L.S., Director of the Botanical 

 Department, Northern India, to the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens of Edinburgh, with no precise habitat attached, 

 but no doubt collected in the Western Himalaya, the forests 

 of which swarm with its congeners. It is referable to 

 Series B in the tentative arrangement of Indian Balsams 

 adopted in the " Flora of British India," but does not fit 

 into any of the five groups of that Series. As, however, 

 these will all undergo great modifications in a further 

 study of the genus upon which I am now engaged, it 

 would be premature to do more than indicate the salient 

 characters of 1. Balfourii. These are the alternate, never 

 whorled or opposite leaves, their very minute, recurved 

 marginal teeth, short, naked petioles, the large flowers in 

 very short, terminal racemes, the very slender pedicels of 

 which are never interruptedly placed, or clustered whorled 

 or umbellate, and the erect capsules. Of the flower the 

 most marked character is the large, horn-like curved spur 

 of the lip. This would be regarded as a distinguishing 

 February 1st, 1908, 



