JEWEI^WEED FAMILY 



flare outward and downward at the sides of the cornu- 

 copia like wings. These are profusely speckled with 

 reddish brown dots; there are dots elsewhere, but 

 not so many. The flowers dangle on slender stems and 

 sway and nod and swing with every breeze, but when 

 picked perish at once. 



The ripe seed-pods recoil from one's touch with a 

 quick, petulant motion. They are plump and look 

 so contented that one would not suspect them of such 

 impatience, but as a matter of fact they are extremely 

 sensitive, and at a certain point of maturity they ap- 

 parently resent the slightest pressure, snap inside out 

 upon the least provocation or upon none at all, and 

 the elastic coil of the outer coat shoots the liberated 

 seeds hither and yon — one of nature's ways of forcing 

 the children to leave home ! 



Two species are common: Impdtiens fillva, Golden 

 Jewel-weed, a red-orange color, thickly spotted with 

 reddish brown; the other, Impdtiens pallida, bears 

 pale yellow blossoms, sparingly dotted with dull red 

 and with a short spur. The two species are found 

 together or near neighbors. The root systems of both 

 species seem scarcely sufficient to anchor their tall, 

 spreading stems, and possibly because of this the plant 

 is always found in colonies, each individual helping 

 and being helped by its neighbor. 



It may not be generally known that the macerated 

 stems of Jewel-weed are used as a country remedy for 

 the eruption caused by Poison Ivy and has been 

 reported to me as virtually a specific remedy. Glass- 

 weed is one of the common names of the plant in 

 Virginia and used by those who utilize its healing 

 properties. 



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