Chinese researchers discover new plant species

BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have discovered a total of three new plant species of Impatiens and published the relevant findings in the international journal Phytotaxa.

The new discoveries include two species, Impatiens yaojiapingensis and Impatiens longyangensis, that were found in the Gaoligong Mountains in southwest China's Yunnan Province, according to a research team from Wuhan Botanical Garden under the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The third new species, Impatiens piufanensis, was found in the Wuling Mountains in central China.

China is one of the countries reserving the richest resources of Impatiens, with approximately 350 species reported. And about three-quarters of them can be only found in China, mainly distributed in the southwestern mountainous areas.

The Impatiens have diversified habitats, including ditches, brooksides, understory, forest margins, valleys, and limestone hills, according to the researchers.