identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
353C312811A65E51BAFB8A6503F081E1.text	353C312811A65E51BAFB8A6503F081E1.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Impatiens leshanensis X. H. Gu, K. Huang & Z. X. Fu 2026	<div><p>Impatiens leshanensis X. H. Gu, K. Huang &amp; Z. X. Fu sp. nov.</p><p>Figs 2, 3, 4</p><p>Type.</p><p>China • Sichuan Province, Leshan City, Jinkouhe District, Gong'an Yi Ethnic Township, <a href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=102.0181&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=29.1734" title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 102.0181/lat 29.1734)">Linfeng Village</a>, on moist soil adjacent to mountain roads and streams, elevation 1036.3 m a. s. l., 29.1734, 102.0181, 7 October 2025 (fl.), Ke Huang, Xingyu Du, Zhixi Fu &amp; Shihao Jiang, Fuzx 10888 (holotype: SCNU! Barcode 10888 a; Isotype: SCNU! Barcode 10888 b) .</p><p>Diagnosis.</p><p>The species of I. leshanensis is phylogenetically most closely allied to I. faberi, sharing a common ancestral node and morphological synapomorphies, including ovate leaves, two lateral sepals, 2 - flowered inflorescences, curved spurs, striate linear capsules, and glabrous bracts. However, it differs significantly in its oblong-elliptic dorsal petal (as wide as the lateral petals / wing petals), narrowly funnelform lower sepal, pale pink flowers with deep red spots and pink stripes, and ellipsoid seeds with reticulate ornamentation (Figs 2, 3).</p><p>Description.</p><p>Herbs, annual, 40–70 cm tall, glabrous. Stem erect, branched at the base. Leaves alternate, sessile or shortly petiolate. Leaf blade abaxially green, adaxially grey-green, narrowly ovate or lanceolate, 3–8 × 1–3 cm, glabrous on both surfaces, without setae between teeth, pinnate reticulate veins and ca. 5–7 pairs of conspicuous lateral veins, base cuneate or rounded, margin crenate or crenate-serrate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences arising from upper leaf axils, 2 - flowered. Peduncles 4–6 cm, slender, erect or slightly curved, glabrous or puberulent, bracteate at the middle or upper-middle part. Bracts narrowly lanceolate, glabrous. Flowers pale pink, 2.5–3 cm long, with deep red spots and pink stripes, surface smooth. Lateral sepals 2, pale green, translucent, lanceolate, glabrous, 0.3–0.6 × 0.1–0.2 cm, apex reflexed. Dorsal petal oblong-elliptic, ca. 1 cm in diam, as wide as the lateral petals (wing petals), apex obtuse-rounded and mucronulate, both upper and lower bases concave, abaxial midvein carinate. United lateral petals shortly clawed, 1.2–1.4 cm, 2 - lobed. Upper petal orbicular, apex obtuse-rounded, deep red spotted, ca. 2 mm in diam. Lower petal dolabriform, auricle linear, elongate, margin undulate, apex obtuse, pink stripes, base pale yellowish-white and translucent. Lower sepal narrowly funnelform, limb 1.5–2 cm long, ca. 1.5 cm deep, mouth obliquely ascending; base gradually narrowed into an incurved long spur, ca. 8 mm wide, apex obtuse and straight. Stamens elliptic. Ovary fusiform, erect. Capsules striate, linear, 8–10 mm long. Seeds ellipsoid, 3–4 mm long, with reticulate ornamentation. (Fig. 2)</p><p>Phenology.</p><p>This species of I. leshanensis flowers from August to October.</p><p>Distribution and Ecology.</p><p>This new species grows on trails at the mid-slope of Bayuelin city nature reserve, Linfeng Village, Gong'an Yi Ethnic Township, Jinkouhe District, Leshan City, Sichuan Province, China. It may also occur in the nearby area, and is highly likely to inhabit moist soils along streams in forests.</p><p>Etymology.</p><p>The specific epithet " leshanensis " is derived from Leshan City, Sichuan Province, China, referring to the type locality of this new species.</p><p>Conservation status.</p><p>I. leshanensis is endemic to the Leshan area of Sichuan Province, China, and is presently known to occur solely in Jinkouhe District with a small population size. Field surveys are insufficient to fully clarify its exact distribution range, population size, and potential threats. Accordingly, we tentatively assess its conservation status as Data Deficient (DD) following the IUCN Red List criteria (IUCN 2024). Its conservation status will be re-evaluated when additional field data and distribution records become available.</p><p>Notes.</p><p>Through critical examination of collected specimens, comparison with type materials of congeneric allied taxa, molecular phylogenetic analysis based on the complete chloroplast genome, and consultation of relevant taxonomic literature, we confirmed the taxonomic position of I. leshanensis . Yu et al. (2016) proposed a new taxonomic treatment for Impatiens based on morphological and molecular evidence, which includes two subgenera ( Clavicarpa and Impatiens). The subg. Impatiens was further divided into seven sections ( Fasciculatae, Impatiens, Racemosae, Scorpioidae, Semeiocardium, Tuberosae, and Uniflorae). The sect. Impatiens is characterized by two-flowered inflorescences, linear capsules, ellipsoid seeds, and seed coats with reticulate ornamentation (Yu et al. 2016). This new species is classified into the sect. Impatiens of the subg. Impatiens . Morphologically, I. leshanensis exhibits several key similarities to I. baishaensis (Ding et al. 2017), including annual herbaceous habit, erect and branched stems, alternate leaves, axillary 2 - flowered inflorescences, pinkish flowers, linear capsules, and ellipsoid seeds; furthermore, their dorsal petals are analogous in shape and adorned with red spots, the united lateral petals share a comparable morphological pattern, and the upper petals of both species are marked with red spots and pink stripes. However, I. leshanensis is readily distinguishable from I. baishaensis by the following diagnostic characters: entire plant glabrous (vs. adaxially puberulent leaves, and puberulent abaxial midveins of lateral sepals and dorsal petal); leaf base cuneate or rounded, devoid of stipitate glands (vs. cuneate base with 2–5 stipitate glands); pale green, translucent, lanceolate lateral sepals (0.3–0.6 × 0.1–0.2 cm) with apically reflexed tips (vs. ovate lateral sepals ca. 5 × 3 mm with acuminate apex); and narrowly funnelform lower sepal (1.5–2 cm long) with a retrorse, obtuse-straight spur (vs. navicular lower sepal ca. 0.8 cm long with a slender incurved spur).</p><p>This new species, I. leshanensis, is similar to I. faberi, I. baishaensis, I. piufanensis, I. forrestii, I. distracta, I. lateristachys, I. rostellata, I. rectirostrata, and I. longcanggouensis (Chen 2001; Chen et al. 2007; Ding et al. 2017; Luo et al. 2026). It differs from I. faberi in pale pink flowers with deep red spots and reticulate seeds (vs. purple-red flowers and smooth seeds); from I. baishaensis in glabrous whole plant (detailed comparison see above); from I. piufanensis in 2 - flowered inflorescences and taller height (40–70 cm vs. 20–40 cm); from I. forrestii in smaller leaves (3–8 × 1–3 cm vs. 10–15 × 3–5 cm); from I. distracta in larger flowers (2.5–3 cm vs. ca. 2 cm) and longer peduncles (4–6 cm vs. 2–3 cm); from I. lateristachys in 2 - flowered inflorescences (vs. 3–6 - flowered raceme); from I. rostellata in spotted pale pink flowers (vs. white / pink / yellow / blue flowers); from I. rectirostrata in smaller leaves (3–8 × 1–3 cm vs. 10–14 × ca. 5 cm); and from I. longcanggouensis in green abaxial leaf surface (vs. purplish-red) and pale pink flowers (vs. white / faintly pinkish). To better distinguish the new species, more details are listed in Table 1.</p></div>	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/353C312811A65E51BAFB8A6503F081E1	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		Pensoft via Plazi	Du, Xingyu;Zhang, Yanru;Jiang, Shihao;Wang, Qinyi;Wu, Jiazhen;Li, Bo;Chen, Yan;Hua, Donglai;Zhang, Bing;Gu, Xianhua;Huang, Ke;Fu, Zhixi	Du, Xingyu, Zhang, Yanru, Jiang, Shihao, Wang, Qinyi, Wu, Jiazhen, Li, Bo, Chen, Yan, Hua, Donglai, Zhang, Bing, Gu, Xianhua, Huang, Ke, Fu, Zhixi (2026): Impatiens leshanensis (Balsaminaceae), a new species from Sichuan, China. PhytoKeys 274: 145-164, DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.274.190265
