1642 



IMPATIENS 



the posterior one taking on a spur-like shape, the 2 

 lateral ones short, green; petals 2 or 3, the one at the 

 back commonly very broad and erect, sometimes 

 keeled or winged, the lateral ones more or less 2-lobed 

 or auricled; stamens 5, the filaments appendaged and 

 the scales connivent over the stigma : fr. a 5-valved pod, 

 which, when ripe, bursts when pinched, scattering the 

 seeds. Species probably 500, widely distributed about 

 the world, largely in mountainous regions in warm- 

 temperate and tropical countries. The genus has been 

 greatly enlarged in recent years, with explorations in 

 Afr. and other regions. It abounds in species that will 

 probably have horticultural value, although relatively 

 few are now in cult, outside botanical collections. The 

 garden balsam (/. Balsamina) is a general favorite in the 

 annual flower-garden. /. Sultani is common in green- 

 houses, and latterly I. Holstii, I. Oliveri, and a few 

 others are sometimes seen. This beautiful genus has not 

 been much developed horticulturally. Great numbers of 

 species, hybrids and interesting forms may be expected 

 to appear in cult, in the future. The genus has immense 

 possibilities for productive horticultural work. The 

 common touch-me-not of Great Britain and other 

 parts of Eu. is /. Noli-tangere (sometimes written /. 

 Noli-me-tangere), an erect smooth branching annual, 

 2 ft. or less high, with large showy yellow fls. spotted 

 with orange, on slender axillary peduncles. It has been 

 reported as an escape in N. Amer. The N. American 

 /. biflora is naturalized in England. 



The cultivation of impatiens is mostly simple and 

 easy. The seeds are large and germinate readily (see 

 Balsam). The indoor species grow well and readily 

 from either cuttings or seeds. Some of them also do 



1951. Impatiens pallida. One of the native 

 jewel-weeds. ( X V<i> 



well when grown as tender annuals in the open ground, 

 although likely to suffer in dry weather and to bleach 

 in bright sun. The remarks under I. Oliveri, I. Sul- 

 tani, I. Holstii, I. H 'awkeri, I. platypetala, I. flactida, 

 and 7. Hookeriana indicate the treatment for the 

 greenhouse kinds. 



alba, 12, 13. 

 arcuata, 3. 

 aurea, 2. 

 Balfourii, 15. 

 Balsamina, 3. 

 biflora, 1. 

 biglandulosa, 13. 

 Candida, 14. 

 coccinea, 3. 

 Episcopi, 7. 

 flaccida, 12. 

 fulva, 1. 



A. Species of the U. S. and Canada, seldom grown in 

 wild gardens, and frequently found about the 

 borders of damp cult, grounds. 



1. bifldra, Walt. (I. fulva, Nutt.). SPOTTED TOUCH- 

 ME-NOT. JEWEL- WEED. Annual, with orange-colored 

 fls. much spotted with reddish brown: spur strongly 

 inflexed, about half as long as posterior sepal: Ivs. 

 ovate or oval, petioled and coarsely toothed: usually 

 2-3 ft. Moist, shady places. July-Oct. Nova Scotia to 

 Alaska, Ore., Mo. and Fla. Has been offered by 

 dealers in native plants. I. Nfirtonii, Rydb., of W. Mo. 

 and Kans., differs from I. biflora in having larger and 

 relatively longer and narrower saccate sepal which 

 tapers gradually into a shorter spur. 



2. pallida, Nutt. (7. aurea, S. Wats.). PALE TOUCH- 

 ME-NOT. JEWEL-WEED. Fig. 1951. With 7. biflora the 

 representatives of the family in the indigenous flora of 

 the U. S. Larger than 7. biflora; otherwise similar to 

 it, with pale yellow fls. sparingly dotted with brownish 

 red; spur short, notched, and less than one-third the 

 length of the posterior sepal. Moist, shady places. 

 July-Sept. Que. to Ore., Kans. and Ga. Annual. 

 Perhaps procurable from dealers in native plants. 



AA. Species of familiar flower-gardens: annuals. 



3. Balsamina, Linn. GARDEN BALSAM. Figs. 450- 

 453, Vol. I. Annual, erect and branching, pubescent or 

 nearly glabrous: Ivs. either narrowly or broadly lanceo- 

 late and acuminate, deeply serrate, the petiole glandu- 

 lar: fls. large, rose-colored; standard orbicular and 

 retuse; wings or side petals very broad, with the lateral 

 lobe rounded and the terminal sessile and large; lip 

 small and cone-like; spur variable, incurved: caps, 

 large, tomentose. Trop. and Subtrop. India, Malaya, 

 China. Very variable in its wide range. Hooker recog- 

 nizes 6 wild botanical varieties: Var. vulgaris, Hook. f. 

 (Balsamina hortensis, DC.). Tall: Ivs. broadly lanceo- 

 late: fls. large, with short spur. Var. coccinea, Hook. f. 

 (Balsdmina coccinea, DC.). Lvs. narrow-lanceolate: fls. 

 of medium size, the spur long and slender. B.M. 1256. 

 Var. arcuata, Hook. f. Diffusely branched: Ivs. small 

 and narrow: fls. small, the spur long, slender and 

 arcuate. Var. macrdntha, Hook. f. Four inches high: 

 Ivs. ovate-lanceolate: fls. large, with short spur. Var. 

 micrdntha, Hook. f. Small, simple: Ivs. small, ovate- 

 lanceolate: fls. small, with long and slender spur. Var. 

 rosea, Hook. f. (7. rosea, Lindl.). Tall: Ivs. linear- 

 lanceolate: fls. rather small, with lip saccate and spur 

 short and incurved. B.R. 27:27. 7. Balsamina now 

 runs into many forms, through long cult, and breeding. 

 See Balsam. 



AAA. Species of many countries, mostly of indoor cult., 

 but sometimes grown in the open. 



B. Lvs. linear: annual. 



4. oppositifdlia, Linn. Annual of free - branching 

 habit, very floriferous, erect: Ivs. long-narrow-linear, 

 mostly nearly sessile, remotely serrate: fls. about 1 in. 

 diam., rosy red, purplish or pink, on glabrous pedicels; 

 sepals linear, acuminate; wings with broad-obovate 

 terminal lobe and small lateral lobe; lip conical, pro- 

 duced into a short and stout incurved spur. India. 

 G.C. III. 42:102. G.M. 51:321. 



