Impatiens anaimudica - Anamudi Balsam

Anamudi Balsam is a herb, branched or not; stems erect or prostrate, 15-25 cm, reddish, rooting at lower nodes. Flowers are borne in umbel-like clusters. Flower-cluster-stalks are capillary, 2.2-4.5 cm long; flower-stalks capillary, 7-10 mm long; bracts lanceshaped, 2-3 mm long. Flowers are crimson. Lateral sepals ovate, asymmetric, cuspidate, about 6 mm long. Lip oblong-ovate, hoodlike, cuspidate, 1-1.2 cm long with a short boss-like spur. Standard ovate-oblong, cuspidate, about 8 mm long. Wings are about 1.4 cm long, 2-lobed; basal lobe oblong-lanceshaped, about 3 mm long; distal lobe semi-obovate. Leaves are alternate, ovate-nearly round, somewhat flat, rounded or shortly wedge-shaped at base, pointed at tip, 2-6.3 x 1.4-4.2 cm, membranous, evenly rounded toothed at margin, nearly entire at base; teeth apiculate or fringed with hairs, hairless or with scattered hairs on nerves above, often with crisp hairs on nerves beneath; leaf-stalks 1-4 cm long, hairless or sparsely hairy. Capsules are ellipsoid, cuspidate-tapering, 6-7 mm long; seeds few or often1, 3-4 mm long, dotted with clusters of papillae. Anamudi Balsam is endemic to Southern Western Ghats. Mostly seen near Anamudi mountain near Anamalai hills in Kerala. Flowering: June-December.