560 BALSAMIXACEAE (TOUCH-ME-NOT FAMILY^ 



Var. arguta (Buckley) Robinson. Leaflets mostly or 7, lanceolate, attenu- 

 ate, sharply serrate. {A. arguta Buckley.) — la. {Mills), Mo. {Bnsh), to Kan. 

 and Tex. 



§2. pAVIA [Boerh.] Pers. Fruit smooth; petals 4, conniviyig ; the 2 upper 

 smaller and longer than the others, with a small rounded blade on a very 

 long claw. 



3. A. octandra Mareh. (Sweet B.) Stamens included in the yellow corolla ; 

 calyx ohlong-campanulate ; leaflets 5, sometimes 7, glabrous, or often minutely 

 downy underneath. {A. flava Ait.) — Rich woods, Pa. to Wise. , la., and southw. 

 May. — A laro:e tree or a shrub. 



Var. hybrida (DC.) Sarg. Calyx and corolla tinged with flesh-color or dull- 

 purple ; leaflets commonly downy beneath. {A. flava, V2ir. purpurascens Gray.) 



— W. Va. , southw. and westw. 



4. A. Pavia L. (Bt.d B.) Stamens not longer than the corolla, which is 

 bright red, as well as the tubular calyx; leaflets glabrous or soft-downy beneath. 



— Fertile valleys, Va., Ky., Mo., and southw. May. — A shrub or small tree. 



BALSAMINACEAE. (Touch-me-not Family) 



Herbs or undershrubs with bland watery juice, alternate simple exstipulate 

 leaves, irregular flowers, and petaloid imbricated spurred calyx. Stamens 5, 

 with short flat filaments and introrse more or less connivent anthei's. Ovary 

 6-celled. Seeds without albumen; embryo straight. — Ours glaucous succulent 

 annuals. 



1. IMPAtIENS [Rivinius] L. Balsam. Jewelweed 



Sepals apparently only 4 ; the anterior one notched at the apex (probably 

 two combined) ; the posterior one (appearing anterior as the flower hangs on its 

 stalk) largest, and forming a usually spurred sac. Petals 2, 2-lobed (each a pair 

 united). Filaments appendaged with a scale on the inner side, the 5 scales con- 

 nivent over tbe stigma ; anthers introrse. Pod with evanescent partitions, and 

 a thick axis bearing several anatropous seeds; valves 5, coiling elastically and 

 projecting the seeds in dehiscence. — Leaves in ours ovate or oval, coarsely 

 toothed, petioled. Flowers axillary or panicled, often of two sorts, viz., the 

 larger ones which seldom ripen seeds ; and very small ones which are fertilized 

 early in the bud, their floral envelopes never expanding but forced off by the 

 growing pod and carried upward on its apex. (Name from the sudden bursting 

 of the pods when touched, whence also the popular appellation.) 



1. I. pallida Nutt. (Pale Touch-me-xot.) Floii^ers pale-yellow, sparingly 

 dotted with brownish-red ; sac dilated and very obtu.se, broader than long, tipped 

 with a short incurved spur. (/. aurea Muhl. ?) — Moist shady places and along 

 rills, in rich soil, n. Me. and w. N. E., westw. and south v/. July-Sept. — Larger 

 and greener than the next, with larger flowers. A form with unspotted flowers 

 occurs. 



2. I. biflbra Walt. (Spotted Touch-me-not.) Flowers orange-color, thickly 

 spotted with reddish brov\n ; sac longer than broad, acutely conical, tapering into 

 & strongly inflexed spur half as long as the sac. (/. fulva Nutt.) — Rills and 

 shady moist places. June-Sept. — Plant 6-8 dm. high. Forms with spotless, 

 whitish, or roseate flowers have been found. 



L NoLi-TAVGERE L., of Eurasia and n. w. Am., with pale yellow flowers and 

 the sac much longer than broad, is reported from Ottawa, Out. {Macoun). 



RHAMNAcEAE (Buckthorn Family) 



Shrubs or small trees, with simple leaves, small and regular flowers {some- 

 times apetaUnis). irith the 4 or 5 perigynous stamens as many as the valvate 

 sepals and alternate toith them, accordingly opposite the petals I Drupe or pod 



