Gobinda Prasad Pokharel
ANN/KATHMANDU POST – A botanist from Nepal has claimed to have discovered a new species of the plant Genus Impatiens popularly known as touch-me-not.
Dr Bhakta Bahadur Raskoti, who specialises in plant research, discovered the new species while collecting plant samples for his botanical survey in Myagdi district in 2011.
“While collecting samples for the study, I saw a species of Impatiens which was different from other previously described species of this genus,” said Raskoti. “I took the photographs and collected some specimens.”
According to Raskoti, the new species of the plant Genus Impatiens was found at an elevation 2,800 metres (m) which was different from other previously described species of this genus.
The herbarium specimens of the collected plants were prepared and deposited in the National Herbarium and Plant Laboratories in Godavari of Lalitpur and the Tribhuvan University Central Herbarium.
“I checked the whole checklist of the Genus Impatiens catalogue, but it did not match the measurement and morphological characteristics,” said Raskoti.
Studies on the phyllotaxy, petiole, leaf shape, bracts, sepals, petals, androecium, gynoecium and fruits of the specimen, including a molecular phylogeny of the species were conducted to ascertain the taxonomic position of the newly-collected plant.
“After the morphological and molecular analysis, the species was confirmed as a new species to science,” said Raskoti adding that it took him a decade to confirm the species is new to science.
A 57-page detailed study on the new species of the plant was published last month in the PLOS One journal.
Botanist and writer Kamal Maden praised the findings in the paper saying that the newly published research paper can act as a baseline for Genus Impatiens of Nepal.
