Impatiens niamniamensis
| Impatiens niamniamensis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Plant of Impatiens niamniamensis | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Asterids |
| Order: | Ericales |
| Family: | Balsaminaceae |
| Genus: | Impatiens |
| Species: | I. niamniamensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Impatiens niamniamensis Gilg (1909) | |
Impatiens niamniamensis, common name Congo cockatoo or Parrot Impatiens, is a species of flowering plant in the family Balsaminaceae.
Description
Impatiens niamniamensis grows about 60–90 centimetres (24–35 in) long. This evergreen, perennial species has an erect, succulent, brown stem resembling wood. Leaves are simple, ovate-oblong or elliptical, spirally arranged, about 10 cm long.
This plant produces bright and colourful bird-shaped flowers (hence the common name Congo cockatoo) with a long, curled nectar spur. These unusual flowers are usually scarlet red and yellow and can reach a length of about 3.5 centimetres (1.4 in). Fruits are explosive capsules of about 14–16 mm.
Distribution and habitat
Impatiens niamniamensis comes from tropical Africa. It can be found from Cameroon through central and East Africa, up to Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania and Angola. It grows in moist and shaded bushlands, at an elevation of 350–2,400 metres (1,150–7,870 ft) above sea level.