PALE TOUCH-ME-NOT 



(Balsaminaceae) 



Impatiens pallida Nuttall 



A tall, stout, annual herbaceous plant with rather succulent stems and 

 alternate, simple, dentate and petioled, thin, ovate to elliptic leaves, 

 pale and somevi^hat glaucous beneath, 1-4 inches long; flowers showy, pale 

 yellow, i-i^ inches long on axillary peduncles, irregular, sparingly dotted 

 with reddish brown or sometimes without spots, sepals 3, the 2 lateral ones 

 small, green, nerved, the posterior one large, petaloid, and forming the 

 conspicuous sac which terminates in a short spreading spur ; petals 3, with 

 2 of them 2-cleft into dissimilar lobes; stamens 5, short; filaments appen- 

 daged hy scales on their inner side and more or less united; gruit an oblong 

 or linear capsule, elastically and violently dihiscent at the slightest touch 

 when mature into 5 spirally coiled valves, expelling the oblong, ridged seeds ; 

 small and inconspicuous cleistogamous flowers without petals are frequently 

 developed following the petaliferous flowers. 



In moist grounds, most frequent in shaded situations along streams and 

 springy places in woods, Nova Scotia to Saskatchewan, Georgia and Kansas. 

 Apparently not so abundant as the spotted touch-me-not which possesses 

 orange-yellow flowers. Flowering from July to September. 



The rapidity with which the flowers and leaves of the wild touch-me-nots 

 wither prevents its use as an ornamental cutflower species although its 

 relative, the balsam or garden touch-me-not, with purple or white flowers, 

 is frequent in cultivation. This species is also known as the pale or yellow 

 jewelweed. 



