STUDIES OF PLANT LIFE 

 CANADIAN BALSAM Impatiens fulva (Nutt.). 



Our Wild Balsam is a singularly gay plant with its 

 profusion of orange-colored spotted flowers, light foliage 

 and semi-transparent stems. The butterflies seem to take 

 delight in hovering over the bright blossoms, and the hum- 

 ming-birds may be seen on sunny days with outstretched 

 beaks and wings winnowing the air as they balance their 

 tiny bodies while extracting sweets or insects from the 

 curiously-hooded flowers. In the New England States it is 

 known as the Humming-bird Flower, but it has other 

 pretty descriptive names, Jewel Weed, Speckled Jewel, and 

 Touch-me-not. This last alludes to the sensitive nature of 

 the slender seed-pods, which burst at a slight touch, rolling 

 themselves into pretty rings and shedding abroad the seed. 



The flowers hang lightly, drooping on very slender 

 thready stalks; when open the outer sepal of the colored 

 calyx forms a hooded cap which reminds one of an old 

 jester's cap and bells. It is only in the single-flowered 

 Balsam under cultivation that we see the curious hood 

 with its horn-like nectary; but the elastic seed-pod is, like 

 the wild species, equally sensitive if touched. A strong 

 coloring matter of bright orange pervades the whole plant 

 in our Wild Balsam leaves, stem and flower. The Indian 

 women use the juice in dyeing, and also apply it in 

 Erysipelas caused by Poison Ivy and in other diseased 

 states of the skin. Our Balsam loves low wet soil. The 

 low lake shore and forest streams are its favorite haunts, 

 where it attains the height of three and four feet. 



There are two species: Impatiens fulva, distinguished by 

 Its deeper-colored blossoms, orange, almost scarlet, and its 

 brown spots and darker green leaves; and /. pallida 

 (Nutt.), paler, the markings on the petals slighter, the 



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