Impatiens bracteata - Hairy-Ball Balsam

Hairy-Ball Balsam is a distintive Balsam because of its flowers borne in a hairy, ball-like round cluster, densely packed with hairy bracts. Flower-cluster-stalks are 1.5-6 cm. Flower-stalks have bracts at base; bracts linear, prominently fringed with hairs. Flowers are pink-purple or purple, small. Lateral sepals 2, lanceshaped. Lower sepal is boat-shaped, with an incurved spur 8-9 mm. Upper petal is ovate-round, lower midvein prominently crested; lateral united petals are clawed; basal lobes round, small; distal lobes subovate; ear inflexed. Anthers are blunt, ovary oblong. It is an annual herb, 30-40 cm tall. Stem is erect, simple or shortly branched in lower part, hairless or slightly velvet-hairy in upper part. Leaves are opposite or alternate, rarely whorled; leaf-stalk long, 0.5-2 cm, sparsely velvet-hairy; leaf blade ovate or ovate-lanceshaped, 4-6 x 2.5-4 cm, below slightly velvet-hairy on veins, above sparsely or densely adpressed hairy, lateral veins 7 or 8 pairs, margin rounded toothed-sawtoothed, tip pointed or tapering. Capsule is elliptic, narrowed at both ends, hairless. Hairy-Ball Balsam is found in NE India, mainly Meghalaya, at altitudes of 2700 m. Flowering: August-September.