Botanical name: Impatiens courtallensis    Family: Balsaminaceae (Balsam family)

Courtallam Balsam is an annual, fleshy, erect, hairless herb, 25-30 cm high; stems cylindrical, often branched with purple dots. It is named for Courtallam hills in Tamil Nadu. Inflorescences are binate, 2 per angle (4 per node), rarely 2-3 together. Flowers are simple, stalked, in leaf-axils, 3-4 mm across, milky white. Flower-stalks are 0.5-1 cm long. Llateral sepals are 2, linear, tapering, 2-4 mm long, prominently nerved, milky white. Lower sepal is boat-shaped, tip of the lower sepal outwardly curved, 3-4 x 1-2 mm, horizontal, spur minute, 0.5 mm or punch-like structure at base or gibbous. Dorsal petal is round, 2-3 x 1.5-2 mm, recurved, dorsally keeled, lateral united petals stipitate, deeply clawed, 2 lobed, 3-4 mm long, basal lobe small, oblong, distal lobe round or spherical, dorsal ear prominent. Leaves are arranged in opposite, mutually perpendicular pairs, 3-4.5 x 1-1.5 cm long, shortly stalked, leaf-stalk 0.5 mm, leathery, linear, tapering, entire, base flat, slightly heart-shaped, reflexed upwards, leaf margin distinctly sawtoothed. Capsules are small, ovoidal, turgid, 5-8 x 2-3 mm, pointed, beaked, 3–5 seeded. Courtallam Balsam is known only from Southern Western Ghats.

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The flower labeled Courtallam Balsam is ...