DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWERS. 247 



IMP ATIENS, BALSAM. 



[A name given to these plants on account of the elastic force with which their 

 capsules burst, and scatter their seeds upon the slightest touch.] 



Impatieas Balsamina. Garden Balsam. This is one 

 of the most beautiful of popular annuals, forming a showy 

 cone of finely variegated Carnation-like flowers. The pre- 

 vailing colors of the petals are red and white, the former 

 extending to every shade of purple, crimson, scarlet, rose, 

 lilac, carnation or flesh color, and white ; but some of the 

 most superb sorts are elegantly spotted with white. The 

 spotted varieties form a class by themselves, and are justly 

 regarded as the most brilliant ornaments of the garden. 

 There are the crimson, scarlet, rose, purple, and violet 

 spotted ; another class is striped after the manner of car- 

 nations with purple, crimson, rose, scarlet on pure white 

 grounds, some with one color, others with two or more 

 colors, some are curiously mottled and striped. The most 

 improved varieties are very double, and styled Camellia- 

 flowered by the French ; some of the flowers are almost 

 as perfect and as double as those of the Camellia, and 

 nearly as regular in shape. The Germans call them Rose- 

 flowered, as many of them approach the perfection of that 

 flower in shape and fullness. There is a class of Dwarf 

 Balsams, that do not grow over a foot high, but very full 

 and bushy in habit; they do not produce flowers so dou- 

 ble as the Camellia or rose-flowered varieties, but are de- 

 sirable for the garden. They should not be planted with 

 the tall varieties, which attain the height of two or three 

 feet, when properly cultivated. The only way to prop- 

 agate the Balsam, is from seed, which does not always 

 produce kinds exactly the same as the parent, but ap- 

 proaches very near, when great care has been taken to 

 keep the different varieties by themselves, as is now prac- 

 ticed by those who make a business of raising the seed. 

 We procure the best seed from France, which, after many 



