Key to Impatiens
View taxon page for Impatiens
(For a list of species in Impatiens, use the above link.)
Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.
1. Flowers yellow-orange (pink, cream), with dark red marks or not;
leaves acute 
Having a short-tapered, sharp tip, the sides convex or straight and converging at less than a right angle.
,
entire 
Having margins that are continuous and smooth (i.e., without teeth, lobes, etc.).
to coarse-crenate;
stipules 0
..... [I. capensis] 1' Flowers white, pink, or purple, with yellow or dark purple marks or not; leaves acute to
acuminate 
Having a long-tapered, sharp tip, the sides concave.
,
serrate 
Having margins with sharp, fine to coarse teeth generally pointing tipward, not outward; margins with such teeth on such primary teeth are doubly serrate.
; stipules gland-like
2. Taper to flower
spur gradual, spur ± straight, 10–10 mm; leaves
alternate 
1. Arranged singly, often spirally, along an axis - e.g., one leaf per node. 2. Occurring in different ranks, appearing to be between, not directly above or below, as 'stamens alternate petals'.
; stipules dome-shaped, unlobed, < 1 mm
..... I. balfourii 2' Taper to flower spur abrupt, spur ±
recurved 
Gradually curved downward or backward.
, 5–6 mm; leaves
opposite 
1. Arranged in pairs along an axis - e.g., two leaves per node. 2. Occurring in the same rank, directly above or below, as 'stamens opposite petals'. 3. Located directly across from.
or
whorled 
Arranged in groups of three or more at nodes or positions along an axis (e.g., three leaves per node).
; stipules
oblong 
Longer than wide, with nearly parallel sides; wider than linear.
, lobed or not, 2–4 mm
..... I. glandulifera
Please use this Google Form for Contact/Feedback
Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on .
We encourage links to these pages, but the content may not be downloaded for reposting, repackaging, redistributing, or sale in any form, without written permission from The Jepson Herbarium.
