- A new Himalayan flowering plant species discovered in Nepal's western Myagdi district has been given the scientific name Impatiens nimspurjai.
- The species is named in honor of the renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal "Nimsdai" Purja. A detailed scientific description of the new species was published in a 57-page research study in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS ONE.
- The plant was first identified in 2011 by botanist Bhakta Bahadur Raskoti.
- However, it took several years to confirm it as a distinct and new species.
- Green living and environmental issues
- Scientists studied its external appearance, structural characteristics, and genetic traits over a long period.
- After more than a decade of research, it was recognized as a species new to science.
- The formal scientific classification of the species was carried out by Bhakta Bahadur Raskoti and Rita Ale.
- Impatiens nimspurjai belongs to the genus Impatiens, which is part of the Balsaminaceae family.
- In Nepal, plants of the Impatiens genus are locally known as 'Tiuri'.
- The discovery of this new species highlights the biodiversity of the Himalayan region and the richness of its flora.
- Naming it after mountaineer Nimsdai also accords him a special honor by linking him to scientific and natural heritage.
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