

750 



BALSAMINE^E. II. TVTONIA. III. IMPATIENS. 



lanceolate, serrated; spur very short, gibbous. O- S. W. 

 Native of the East Indies, in ponds and ditches, &c. of sweet 

 water. Stem piped, all the parts that grow in or float on the 

 water bending in various directions, the parts above the water 

 are erect and branchy, the former is jointed and emit roots 

 from the joints. Flowers large, very beautifully variegated with 

 red, white, and yellow. When in flower this is one of the most 

 elegant water-plants. Impatiens natans, Willd. spec. 1. p. 1175. 



Floating Tytonia. Fl. July, Sept. Clt. 1810. PI. floating 

 in water. 



2 T. MADAGASCARIE'NSIS ; pedicels solitary, much shorter 

 than the leaves ; leaves opposite, oval, crenated ; spur gibbous, 

 almost wanting; stem simple. O- S. W. Native of Mada- 

 gascar, in ditches and ponds. Balsamina Madagascariensis, D. 

 C. prod. 1. p. 686. Flowers small, float. 



Madagascar Tytonia. Fl. July, Sept. Clt. 1824. PI. float. 



Cult. This is a beautiful genus of water-plants, wortli cul- 

 tivating in every collection. They should be grown in large 

 pots or pans of water in a rich loamy soil, and placed in a warm 

 part of the stove or in a hot-bed. The seeds should be sown 

 in spring. 



III. IMPA'TIENS (from impatiens, impatient ; a metapho- 

 rical name given to these plants because of the elasticity of the 

 valves of the capsule when touched, which throw out the seed 

 with great force). Riv. irr. tetr. with a figure. D. C. prod. 1. 

 p. 687. 



LIN. SYST. Pentdndria, Monogynia. Anthers 5, 3 of which are 

 2-celled, and the 2 in front of the upper petal are only 1 -celled. 

 Stigmas 5, joined together. Capsules prismatically terete, elon- 

 gated, with the valves curling inwards from the base to the 

 top, and expelling the seeds when touched. Peduncles axillary, 

 branched, many-flowered. Capsules smooth. Leaves alternate, 

 very rarely opposite. 



]. Peduncles bearing from 2-5, but usually 3 flowers, 

 axillary. 



1 I. TRIFLORA (Willd. spec. 1. p. 1175.) peduncles 3-flowered, 

 very short ; leaves linear-lanceolate, very long ; spur arched, 

 longer than the flower and pedicel. F. Native of Ceylon, 

 in dry sandy places. Burm. zeyl. p. 41. t. 16. f. 2. Flowers 

 large, pale-red. 



Three-flowered Touch-me-not. Fl. June, Sept. Clt. 1818. 

 PI. 1 foot. 



2 I. FU'LVA (Nutt. gen. amer. 1. p. 146.) peduncles 2-4- 

 flowered ; leaves rhomboid-ovate, blunt, mucronately-toothed : 

 the petal bearing the spur is longer than the rest. O H. Na- 

 tive of North America from Canada to Carolina, in wet shady 

 places. Im. biflora, Willd. spec. 1. p. 1175. Sweet, fl. gard. 

 t. 43. Im. noli-tangere ft, Michx. Flowers dark-yellow, with 

 red spots on the inside ; spur emarginate. 



fuhiows-flowered Touch-me-not. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1818, 

 PI. 1 to 2 feet. 



3 I. PA'LLIDA (Nutt. gen. amer. 1. p. 146.) peduncles 3-4- 

 flowered ; leaves rhomboid-ovate, rather acute, mucronately 

 toothed; spurred petal dilated, shorter than the rest; spur 

 recurved, very short. Q. H. Native of North America from 

 New England to Carolina near springs and rivulets in shady 

 places. Im. noli-tangere, Pursh, fl. sept. amer. 1. p. 171. 

 Flowers pale-yellow. Plant glaucous. 



Pafe-flowered Touch-me-not. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1817 

 PI. 1 to 2 feet. 



4 I. NOLI-TA'NGERE (Lin. spec. 1328.) peduncles 3-4-flowered, 

 shorter than the leaves, and spreading under them; flowers 

 pendulous ; spur recurved at end ; leaves ovate, coarsely 

 toothed ; joints of stem swollen. Q. H. Native of Europe 



and Siberia, in shady humid places; FIG. 120. 



in Britain, in several parts of 

 Westmoreland ; also in Yorkshire, 

 Lancashire, and Wales ; on the 

 banks of Wynandermere, in little 

 brooks and watery places, near 

 Rudall-hall, plentifully. Smith, 

 engl. bot. t. 937. Oed. fl. dan. 

 t. 582. Schkuhr. handb. t. 270. 

 Flowers large, yellow, spotted in- 

 ternally with red. Ray says this 

 plant is dangerously diuretic. Do- 

 donscus speaks of its pernicious 

 qualities. The seeds of this, as 

 well as all the other species are 

 thrown out with considerable force 

 when ripe, upon being touched. 



Hence the specific name Noli-me-langere, and the English 

 names of Quick-in-hand and Touch-me-not. The elasticity of 

 the capsules has furnished names for this plant in most Euro 

 pean languages. In German it is called Spring-same, Spring- 

 kraut, &c. ; in Swedish, Springkorn ; in Danish, Springkorn or 

 Springurt ; in French, Impatiente, Ne me touches pas, and also 

 Balsamine-jaune ; in Italian, Erba impaziente, Balsamina gialla ; 

 in Spanish, No quieras tocarme, Balsamina amarilla ; in Por- 

 tuguese, Melindre nao me toquis. The leaves are said by 

 Villars to hang pendant at night ; we have not observed this. 

 The whole plant is considerably acrid, and no quadruped, except 

 perhaps goats, are said to eat it. Notwithstanding this, it 

 was formerly used as a diuretic and vulnerary, and was given to 

 relieve the haemorrhoids and the strangury. Boerhaave regarded 

 it as poisonous. 



Common Touch-me-not. Fl. Jul. Aug. Brit. PI. 1 to 1| ft. 



5 I. FARVIFLORA (D. C. prod. 1. p. 687.) peduncles 3-6- 

 flowered, and are as well as the flowers erect ; leaves ovate, 

 acuminated, serrated ; serratures mucronate ; spur straight. Q. 

 H. Native on the Upper Irtisch, without the limits of Russia. 

 Flowers pale-yellow, 3-times smaller than those of /. noli-tdn- 

 gere. Leaves more blistered and larger. 



Small-flowered Touch-me-not. Fl. June, Sept. Clt. 1820. 

 PI. 2 to 3 feet. 



6 I. TRIPE'TALA (Roxb. hort. beng. p. 18.) peduncles short, 

 1-4-flowered, sometimes more ; pedicels elongated, but much 

 shorter than the petioles ; leaves broad-lanceolate, acuminated, 

 serrated, with the lower serratures cilia-like ; corolla 3-petalled ; 

 spur hooked. O- F. Native of the East Indies on the moun- 

 tains of Silhet. Lower leaves opposite and tern. This species 

 has a pretty appearance when in full blossom, the flowers being 

 numerous, large, and of a lively red colour, with the nectary 

 deeply tinged with yellow. 



Three-pelalled Touch-me-not. Fl. July, Sept. Clt. 1825. 

 PI. 1 foot. 



7 1. HAMILTONIA'NA (D. Don, prod. fl. nep. p. 204.) pedun- 

 cles dichotomous, 2-flowered, shorter than the petioles ; leaves 

 ovate, stalked, serrated, acuminated, tapering to the base ; 

 lateral petals horned on the back. O- H. Native of Nipaul 

 at Narainhetty. Flowers yellow. Im. noli-tangere, Hamilt. 

 mss. but not of Lin. 



Hamilton's Touch-me-not. Fl. July, Aug. PI. 1 foot. 



8 I. TRILOBA'TA (Colebr. ex Spreng. syst. append, p. 99.) pe- 

 duncles usually 4-flowered, spreading, about equal in length to the 

 leaves ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, serrated, smooth ; spur conical, 

 acuminated, incurved. O- F. Native of Silhet. Flowers 

 yellow. 



Three-lobed-petafted Touch-me-not. PI. 1 foot. 



9 I. SCA'BRIDA (D. C. prod. 1. p. 687.) peduncles 3-4-flow- 



