PALE TOUCH-ME-NOT 
(Balsaminaceae) 
Impatiens pallida Nuttall 
A tall, stout, annual herbaceous plant with rather succulent stems and 
alternate, simple, dentate and petioled, thin, ovate to elliptic leaves, 
pale and somewhat glaucous beneath, 1-4 inches long; flowers showy, pale 
yellow, 1-1%4 inches long on axillary peduncles, irregular, sparingly dotted 
with reddish brown or sometimes without spots, sepals 3, the 2 lateral ones 
small, green, nerved, the posterior one large, petaloid, and forming the 
conspicuous sac which terminates in a short spreading spur; petals 3, with 
2 of them 2-cleft into dissimilar lobes; stamens 5, short; filaments appen- 
daged by scales on their inner side and more or less united; gruit an oblong 
or linear capsule, elastically and violently dihiscent at the slightest touch 
when mature into 5 spirally coiled valves, expelling the oblong, ridged seeds; 
small and inconspicuous cleistogamous flowers without petals are frequently 
developed following the petaliferous flowers. j 
In moist grounds, most frequent in shaded situations along streams and 
springy places in woods, Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan, Georgia and Kansas. 
Apparently not so abundant as the spotted touch-me-not which possesses 
orange-yellow flowers. Flowering from July to September. 
The rapidity with which the flowers and leaves of the wild touch-me-nots 
wither prevents its use as an ornamental cutflower species although its 
relative, the balsam or garden touch-me-not, with purple or white flowers, 
is frequent in cultivation. This species is also known as the pale or yellow 
jewelweed. 
