Impatiens brachycentra Kar. & Kir.

This is our commonest and smallest flowered, almost spurless balsam; often gregarious in moist and shady places from 1900-3000 m. The opposite leaved variety (var. jacquemontii Hook. f.) has not been reported from our area so far, but may well occur.

Annual 15-40 cm tall, branched, glabrous. Leaves elliptic-ovate to ovate, 25-140 x 16-70 mm, serrate to subcrenate, base glandular stipitate; petiole up to 30 mm long, slender. Bracts 1-2 mm long, lanceolate. Flowers white, 4.5-6 mm long; pedicel up to 20 mm long, slender. Lateral sepals ovate, c. 1.5 mm long, spur c. 1 mm long, sometimes tinged yellow. Anterior petal orbicular-cuneate, 3-4 mm long; lateral united petals 5-6 mm long, dissimilar; lower ones prolonged. Capsule erect, cylindrical to subclavate, 12-22 mm long. Seeds 2.5-3 mm long, oblong, rugose.

Plants annual, 30-60 cm tall, with fibrous roots. Stem erect, succulent, branched or simple. Leaves alternate; petiole 1-2.5 cm; leaf blade elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 6-15 × 2-5 cm, lateral veins 5-7 pairs, base cuneate, margin crenate-serrate, teeth mucronulate, apex acuminate. Inflorescences axillary, racemose, 4-12-flowered; peduncles 5-10 cm. Pedicels slender, bracteate at base; bracts persistent, lanceolate, small. Flowers erect, whitish, very small. Lateral sepals 2, ovate, apex slightly obtuse. Lower sepal navicular, ca. 1 mm, narrowed into a short, triangular spur shorter than 1 mm. Upper petal broadly obovate; lateral united petals ± clawed, 2-lobed; basal lobes oblong; distal lobes broadly oblong, large. Anthers obtuse. Capsule linear-oblong, ca. 2 cm. Fl. Aug-Sep.

Distribution: C. Asia, Sinkiang and W. temperate Himalayas from Kumoan to Kashmir.

Xinjiang [Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan].

Fl. Per.: July-Aug.

Forest understories on slopes, forest margins, along canals, mossy places; 800-2100 m.

Impatiens brachycentra adalah spesies tumbuhan yang tergolong ke dalam famili Balsaminaceae. Spesies ini juga merupakan bagian dari ordo Ericales. Spesies Impatiens brachycentra sendiri merupakan bagian dari genus Impatiens. Nama ilmiah dari spesies ini pertama kali diterbitkan oleh Kar. & Kir..

Impatiens brachycentra là một loài thực vật có hoa trong họ Bóng nước. Loài này được Kar. & Kir. mô tả khoa học đầu tiên năm 1842.

短距凤仙花（学名：Impatiens brachycentra）为凤仙花科凤仙花属的植物。分布在中亚地区以及中国大陆的新疆等地，生长于海拔850米至2,100米的地区，一般生于山坡林下、山谷水旁、林缘以及沼泽地，目前尚未由人工引种栽培。