Impatiens selvasinghii: How Madurai research team honoured professor by naming new species after him

CHENNAI: A team of researchers from a college in Madurai have discovered a new species of balsam plant in the Kudremukh range and in a tribute to his significant contributions to the study of the region's endangered plants, they have named the new species after an associate professor of botany at Madras Christian College.

According to a report in The Times of India, the research team named the balsam species ‘Impatiens selvasinghii’ after associate professor P Selva Singh Richard. The newly identified plant is one of the smallest-flowered balsams found in the Western Ghats and has an exceptionally small flower size and prominently-lobed wing petals which makes it unique.

The researchers collected a specimen from the Kudremukh peak at an altitude of 1,630 meters and when they did a thorough examination, they confirmed that it was an unrecorded species. Following this, the team published their findings in the international journal 'Taiwania'.

The team's decision to name the plant after Richard comes mainly from his effort and almost two decades of work, which involved identifying new balsam species and studying their interactions with insects and reproductive processes. The researchers said that associate professor Richard's generosity in sharing his expertise and leading students was the main reason behind their inspiration to honour him.

They further noted that the genus 'Impatiens' is very diverse in India and is primarily found in the Eastern Himalayas and the Western Ghats. "Out of the 210 types that are endemic to India nearly 130 of them are found in the Western Ghats and are classified as endangered," they said.

However, as the newly discovered species is located near a popular trekking path on Kudremukh peak, experts raised concerns that overcrowding of tourists could potentially threaten its survival in the future.