30 FAMILIAR WILD FLOWERS. 



is botanically termed ovate; it may be described as a 

 pointed egg-shaped leaf. Tbe leaves have toothed 

 edges ; in colour they are a rather palish green, and in 

 texture flaccid and delicate. The plant is found in moist 

 shady woods in the northern counties of England and 

 Wales, and much more rarely in Scotland. Its succulent 

 and fragile character causes it to bear removal very badly, and 

 even for the purpose of our illustration we found ourselves 

 obliged to bring several pieces home before we were able 

 to make the necessary drawing, as piece after piece drooped 

 and withered in spite of all our care. The slender flower- 

 stem rises from the axils of the leaves i.e., the junctions 

 of the leaves with the main stalk and each ordinarily bears 

 one or more specimens of two distinct forms of flowers. 

 The large and conspicuous yellow and orange freckled 

 blossoms are very curious in form, and composed of six 

 gaily-coloured pieces. The spur of the calyx is a notice- 

 able feature, and calls for observation, as a specific dis- 

 tinction based upon it is made between the present plant 

 and the Impatient fulva. In the first of these this spur 

 is loosely turned back and ends in a blunt and rounded 

 point, while in the second the same part is tightly bent 

 back on to the calyx, and its extremity is notched. The gay 

 flowers of the wild touch-me-not rarely ripen their seed or 

 form any fruit at all, but on each flower-stem are generally 

 found some one or more minute blossoms, and it is from 

 these that the pods are produced. As the seed ripens these 

 pods burst at the slightest touch and scatter the seed to 

 some considerable distance, the effect being decidedly 

 startling to one who is unaware of this peculiarity. We 

 need, after mentioning this, scarcely explain why the 

 plant is called Impatiens, and the name, or rather sentence, 



