New species of plant found in Myagdi

(Santosh Gautam)

A new species of plant has been found in Moreni, Dhawalagiri rural municipality-2 of Myagdi district. Botanist Bhakta Bahadur Raskoti identified the new species of the plant locally known by the name Tiuri. Its botanical name is Impatiens nimspurjae (Impatiens, Balsaminaceae).

Raskoti said that the species’ epithet ‘nimspurjae’ refers to the name of Nirmal Purja for his initiation on conservation through climate change champion. Purja is a world renowned mountaineer from Dana of Annapurna rural municipality-3 in Myagdi district. He has dozens of Guinness book world records in the field of mountaineering.

Impatiens nimspurjae is known from the type locality in western Nepal where it occurs in the temperate forest and forest margins at an elevation range of 2800–2900 m. It grows on moist humus rich slopes.

Raskoti had recently released an article along with a 57 pages long research report regarding the new species of plant that he discovered on August 25, 2011. He had collected a sample of the plant and send it to the National Herbarium Laboratory for its study and to the Tribhuvan University, Department of Herbarium for archiving.

“Since this plant is recorded for the first time in the world, no other detailed studies have been made about it,” Raskoti said, adding that it took many years for archiving it as it took long time carrying out its molecular study and other related detailed studies.

According to him, although Impatiens nimspurjae is closely related to I. harae, I. radiata, I. wallichii, it differs from these species by having sessile oblong-lanceolate leaves, flowers less than three in each peduncle, base of the spur flattened, apex of dorsal petal rounded, basal lobe of lateral united petal widely ovate, not truncated.

Raskoti has archived additional five Tiuri plant species for Nepal. Together with the new species of Tiuri, 57 species of Tiuri have been archived in Nepal. Among these species, eight are found only in Nepal.

Impatiens bachicentra, Impatiens infundibularis, Impatiens sikkimensis, Impatiens katakarthi, Impatiens gynae are new species archived for Nepal.

Raskoti, who has completed doctorate degree in botany, is also a collaborative contributor to the ‘Arcidacea Group’ of the ‘Flora of Nepal’. Although this plant family has two genuses, only Tiuri species is found in Nepal. Tiuri is planted as garden flower and also used as herbal medicine. Growing in damp places of grassland, the locals apply Tiuri on wounds caused by mud during the rainy season.