208 BALSAMINACEiE. Impatiens. 



twisted. — Peduncles axillary or opposite the leaves, many- (rarely 2-) flower- 

 ed : flowers umbellate. Cotyledons sometimes pinnately lobcd. 



1. E. c) a it an tim (holier.): stem prostrate or diffuse, hairy; leaves pin- 

 nately divided; segments sessile, pinnatitid, incised or acute; peduncles ma- 

 ny- [or few-] flowered; petals unequal. DC. prodr. 1. p. 646; Jlook.Jl. 

 Bor.-Ani. 1. p. 116; Ilook. <^- Am. in hot. Beechey, p. 136. Geranium 

 cicutarium, Linn. 



Oregon *fe California, common, Nuttall ! i^c. — "Certainly not introduced." 

 ISutt. 



Order XXIX. BALSAMINACE^. A. Richard. 



Sepals 5, deciduous ; the two inner (or upper) usually connate ; the 

 lowest spurred or gibbous : asstivation imbricated. Petals hypowy- 

 nous, usually 4 (5, but the fifth or posterior one abortive) and united 

 by pairs ; rarely 5 and distinct. Stamens 5, hypogynous : filaments 

 subulate : anthers 2-celled. Ovary 5. celled [placentfE in the axis], 

 ovules usually numerous, rarely few in each cell, suspended : stigmas 

 5, sessile, distinct or more or less united. Fruit capsular, 5-celled (the 

 dissepiments usually disappearing), ,5.valved, elastically septifragal ; 

 or [in Hydrocera, Blume] a 5.celled drupe. Seeds several in each 

 cell [anatropous], destitute of albumen. Embryo straight : cotyledons 

 plano-convex. — Succulent herbaceous plants. Leaves simple, opposite 

 or alternate, exstipulate. Flowers axillary. Am. 



1. IMPATIENS. Linn.; W. ^ Am. prodr. Jnd. Or. 1. p. 135. 



Impatiens & Balsamina, i?zr.; DC. 



Sepals apparently only 4 from the union of the two upper ones. Petals 4, 

 apparently only two from the union of each of the lower to each of the late- 

 ral ones. Filaments 5, more or less united at the apex : anthers opening 

 longitudinally or transversely. Cells of the ovary formed by membranous 

 projections of the placentae, which occupy the axis of the ovarj' and are con- 

 nected Avith its apex by 5 slender threads. Capsule often 1-cclled by the 

 disappearance of the dissepiments. Seeds numerous or few. Am. 



§. Leaves alternate: peduncles more than l-flo^cered. {Glabrous: 

 stems transparent^ tumid at the joints.) 



-J^ 1. /. pallida (Nutt.) : leaves oval or ovate, coarsely and obtusely serrate ; 

 teeth mucronate; peduncles 2-4-flowered ; lower sepal obtusely conic, dila- 

 ted, shorter than the petals, broader than long, with a very short recurved 

 spur; flowers pale yellow, sparingly punctate. — \iitt. gen. 1. p. 146; DC. 

 prodr. 1. ;). 6S7 ; Hook. ft. Bar.- Am. 1. ;;. 117. I. nolitangere, Michx.! Jl. 2. 

 p. 149 (a.); Piirsh, f. 1. p. 171; Ell. sk. 1. p. 303. 



In moist shady places, Canada ! to Georgia & west to Kentucky ! (Oregon, 

 Hooker.) July-Sept. — (l) Stem 2-5 feet high, much branched. Leaves 



