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IMPATIENS* * 



Linnean Class and Order. Penta'ndria f, Monogy^nia. 



Natural Order. Balsami'ne/e, a. Rich. — Lindl. Syn. p. 59 ; 

 Introduce to Nat. Syst. ofBot. p. 142. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 506. — 

 Rosales ; sect. Gruina: ; type, Balsamina'ce,® ; Burn. Outl. of 

 Bot. pp. 614, 808, & 811. — Gerania, affinia, Juss. Gen. PI. pp. 

 268 & 269. — Sm. Gram. ofBot. pp. 147 & 148. — Corydales, Linn. 



Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, of 2 small, roundish, 

 pointed, concave, lateral, rather unequal, coloured, deciduous se- 

 pals. Corolla (fig. 2.) of 4 petals, 2 outer alternating with the 

 sepals ; upper one roundish, flat, slightly 3-cleft, pointed in 

 the middle, constituting the upper lip ; lower one (Nectary of 

 Linn. fig. 6.) entire, tubular, tapering at the base into a curved 

 spur ; two inner petals (fig. 4.) large, alternating with the outer 

 ones, reflexed, dilated outwards, blunt, irregular, usually bifid or 

 appendiculate, constituting the lower lip. Filaments (fig. 7.) 5, 

 fixed to the receptacle, short, incurved, thickened at the apex. 

 Anthers 5, united at the base, 3 of them 2-celled, and the 

 2 in front of the upper petal 1-celled. Germen (fig. 8.) superior, 

 of 5 cells. Style none. Stigmas 5, united. Capsule (fig. 9.) egg- 

 oblong, pointed, of 5 cells and 5 strap-shaped valves, separating 

 elastically, and rolling inwards from the base to the apex (see fig. 

 10). Seeds several, oval, attached to a membranous-bordered 

 central column or placenta. 



Three of the anthers being 2-celled, and 2 of them only 1-celled ; 

 the united stigmas ; and the capsule of 5 cells, and 5 elastic valves ; 

 will distinguish this from other genera in the same class and order. 



Two species British J- 



IMPA'TIENS NOLI-ME-TANGERE. Yellow Balsam. Touch- 

 me-not. Quick-in-hand. 



Spec. Char. Joints of the stem swollen. Leaves egg-shaped, 

 serrated. Peduncles 3- 4-flowered, shorter than the leaves, and 

 spreading under them ; Flowers pendulous ; spur recurved at the 

 end. 



Engl. Bot. t. 937. — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1329. — Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd cd.) p. 380. — 

 Sm. FI. Brit. v. i. p. 243. Engl. FI. v. i. p.299. — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 332. — 

 Lindl. Syn. p. 60. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 105. Hook. FI. Scot. p. 76. — Don’s Gen. 

 Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. i. p. 750. — Impatiens palustris, Gray’s Nat. Arr. 

 v. ii. p. 630. — Balsamine lutea, sive Noli me tangere, Ray’s Syn. p. 316. — 



4 Persicaria siliguosa, Johnson’s Gerarde, p. 446. 



Fig. 1. Calyx. — Fig. 2. Corolla. — Fig. 3. One of the inner Petals, with the 

 appendage, fig. 5. — Fig. 4. Two inner Petals. — Fig. 6. The lower outer Petal, 

 (Nectary of Linneeus), with the Calyx and Stamens. — Fig. 7. The 5 united 

 Anthers. — Fig. 8. The Pistil. — Fig. 9. A Capsule. — Fig. 10. The same after it 

 has discharged the seeds. — Fig. 11. A Seed. 



* Impatient ; from the sudden opening of the valves of the capsule, when the 

 fruit is touched. Dr. Hooker. 



•f See Anc/iusa sempervirens, folio 48, note f. 



j A very eminent Botanist, W. Bonn eh. Esq. informs me, (Aug, 25, 1834,) 

 that Impatiens fulva has been traced 6 or 7 miles along the river \Vey, above 

 and below Guildford, Surrey, as well as on several streams running into it, near 

 Ripley, and at Albury, and Shiere. Probably the Rev. L. Jenyns’ Surrey 

 locality for I. Noli-me-tangere, belongs to this species. 



