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BALSAMINACEAE

TOUCH-ME-NOT FAMILY

Dieter H. Wilken

Annual, perennial herb, generally glabrous
Stem watery to fleshy
Leaves simple, alternate, opposite, or whorled, petioled; blade generally toothed, veins pinnate; stipules generally ± 0
Inflorescence: cyme, umbel-like, terminal or axillary, 1–8 flowered
Flower bisexual, bilateral; sepals 3–5, free; petals 3 or 5, free or ± fused; stamens 5, filaments short, ± flat, anthers ± fused above stigma; ovary 1, superior, generally 5-chambered, stigmas 1–5, sessile
Fruit: capsule, explosive
Genera in family: 2–4 genera, ± 800 spp: tropical, warm temp; some ornamental
Reference: Wood 1975 J Arnold Arb 56:413–426

IMPATIENS

TOUCH-ME-NOT, JEWELWEED


Leaves alternate
Flower sepals 3, lateral 2 < lower (sometimes much reduced or 0), generally greenish, lower 1 pouched, generally spurred, colorful; petals 3, lower 2 notched to unequally 2-lobed, upper 1 generally < lower, entire, often keeled on back
Species in genus: 500–600 species: tropical, warm temp Am, Eurasia, Africa
Etymology: (Latin: impatient, from explosive fruit)
Petals also interpreted to be 5, lower 4 fused in 2 pairs.

Introduced

I. balfourii Hook. f.

Annual, 1.5–10 dm
Leaf: blade 2.5–4 cm, lanceolate to widely ovate, generally acuminate, sparsely short-hairy
Inflorescence 4–8-flowered, axillary and terminal
Flower: lower sepal, including spur, 16–22 mm, lateral sepals 2–5 mm
Ecology: Wet sites, streambanks
Elevation: < 1000 m.
Bioregional distribution: North Coast, n Central Coast, s San Francisco Bay Area, ne South Coast
Distribution outside California: native to Himalaya Mtns

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