Impatiens rapiformis (Balsaminaceae), a new species from Malipo County, Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. The new species is superficially similar to I. apalophylla, I. malipoensis and I. guizhouensis, but differs by having cylindric or subfusiform root tuber, elliptic or obovate-oblong leaf blades and falcate outer lateral sepals. The characters of its seed micromorphology and pollen morphology under SEM are given. A preliminary molecular phylogenetic study suggests that I. rapiformis should be placed in I. subg. Clavicarpa.

Impatiens is one of the most species-rich genera of angiosperms, with more than 1,000 species distributed in Eurasia and Africa. Previous studies have shown that seeds of Impatiens display enormous morphological diversity, and seed micromorphology may contribute to the classification of those species. However, the micromorphological seed coat characteristics of Impatiens seeds have not been systematically studied. In this study, we examined 117 Impatiens seeds from two subgenera and seven sections, and analyzed the seed characters of shape, primary ornamentation, secondary ornamentation, anticlinal cell wall, and periclinal cell wall. We discovered that, according to the different shapes of ornamentation, seed coat can be divided into three types, viz, reticulate type, protrusive type, appendicular type, and that they can be further subdivided into 10 subtypes. In addition, the characteristics of seed coat ornamentation with taxonomic significance in this genus are discussed. We reconstructed the ancestral states of the above seed characters of the Impatiens using the maximum likelihood approach based on the reconstructed phylogenetic framework. The seed character reconstruction showed that the seed shape, primary ornamentation, and anticlinal cell wall could be identified as unambiguous, while other characters were ambiguous in the last common ancestor of Impatiens. Reconstruction of important seed morphological characters showed that the secondary ornamentation possesses high plasticity, and the primary ornamentation has high homology. In addition, we inferred the evolutionary trends of seed ornamentation and found that the seed coat ornamentation of Impatiens experienced a complex evolutionary process from a reticulate type into more complex types. We also discussed the relationship between seed coat diversity vs. environmental adaptation and seed dispersal in Impatiens.

Impatiens longshanensis (The LSID for the name Impatiens longshanensis is: 77219154-1) sp. nov. and I. lihengiana (The LSID for the name I. lihengiana is: 77219153-1) sp. nov., from Hunan, China, are described and illustrated here. The molecular phylogenetic study suggests that I. longshanensis and I. lihengiana should be placed in the I. sect. Impatiens. A detailed description, diagnostic characters between the two new species and allied species, pollen and seed morphology, and color photographs are provided. In addition, based on wide sampling, we found that the longifilamenta group, an endemic group to China, whose members have basal lobes of lateral united petals with long filamentous hairs, shows significant morphological variability. In this paper, we discuss the taxonomic significance of morphological characteristics within this group. Based on a literature review and observation of living materials in the field, an updated identification key for this group is also proposed.

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