A new species of impatiens has been discovered in the Damingshan National Nature Reserve in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, adding new evidence to the study of plant evolution and biodiversity conservation.

The species, officially named Impatiens shanglinensis, or Shanglin impatiens, was identified by a research team from Hunan Normal University and the Wuhan Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Their findings were recently published in the international journal Plant Systematics and Evolution.

The discovery is particularly significant because the new species belongs to a rare subgenus of Impatiens, a group with a distinct evolutionary position but relatively few known species. The subgenus accounts for less than 10% of all Impatiens species, and new species discoveries within the group have been rare in recent years.

China is home to more than 300 recorded native Impatiens species, around 90% of which are endemic to the country.

Researchers first encountered the previously unknown wild population in November 2022 during a field survey in the Damingshan reserve. The plants were found in a pristine forest valley at an altitude of 803 meters and were initially suspected to represent a new species.

The research team then carried out a systematic investigation, documenting characteristics of the plants' stems, leaves, flowers and seed capsules and comparing them with those of closely related species, including Impatiens guizhouensis.

While the two species share some similarities, the newly identified Impatiens shanglinensis has several distinct morphological features, including its plant height, densely fine-haired upper stem, nearly stalkless obovate leaves and uniquely shaped floral structures.

According to current field surveys, only three wild populations of the species have been found, with an estimated total of around 300 individual plants.

The perennial herb flowers and bears fruit between October and November. Its elegant white flowers also give it potential value for the development of ornamental plants, researchers said.

The discovery not only expands the species inventory of the Damingshan National Nature Reserve, but also provides new material for research into the evolutionary history of the Impatiens genus and the origin and diversification of its species in East Asia.