PALE TOUCH-ME-NOT 

 (Balsaminaeeae) 



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 somewhat glaucous beneath, 1-4 inches long; flowers showy, pale 

 yellow, 1—1^2 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 iby 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 

 spring}- 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. 



