72 
XVIII. GERANIACEJE 
4. IMPATIENS. Name refers to the sudden bursting of the 
ripe capsule. — Chiefly mountainous regions in tropical Asia and 
Africa ; a few in Europe and N. America. 
Erect, succulent, usually glabrous herbs ; stems branching, 
usually hollow, joints more or less swollen. Leaves simple, alter- 
nate or opposite, sometimes whorled, sharply toothed or crenate, 
often glandular on the margins and at the base of the stalk ; 
stipules none. Elowers borne on slender stalks, irregular, in 
racemes or umbel-like clusters, sometimes solitary on axillary 
stalks. Sepals 3 (or 5) ; the 2 upper small, flat, usually green ; the 
lower (or 3 combined) forming the lip, much larger, petal-like, more 
or less tubular, produced at the base in a hollow spur. Petals 3 (or 
5) ; the upper one, the standard, broad and somewhat concave, 
often crested ; the 2 lower (each of 2 combined) forming the wings, 
smaller, deeply 2-lobed. Glands none. Stamens 5 ; filaments short, 
thick, flattened ; anthers cohering round the pistil. Ovary 
oblong, 5-celled ; stigma sessile, 5-toothed when mature ; ovules 
numerous in each cell. Capsule ovoid, club-shaped, linear or 
narrowly oblong, often irregularly swollen, bursting asunder when 
ripe by 5 valves which separate from the seed-bearing axis and 
rolling up with a jerk scatter the numerous small seeds. 
* Flowers pink, purple or crimson 
Flowers solitary on axillary stalks. Capsule tomen- 
tose ......... 
Flowers in racemes or umbel-like clusters, often pani- 
culate. Capsule glabrous. 
Leaves stalked. 
Flowers 1-1£ in. long, excluding the spur. 
Capsule club-shaped, thick at the tip, gradu- 
ally narrowed to the base ... 
Capsule linear. 
Stems 4-10 ft. Leaves opposite or whorled, 
rarely alternate . . • . 
Stems 1-3 ft. Leaves alternate 
Flowers J-| in. long, excluding the spur . 
Leaves sessile, stem- clasping .... 
1. I. Balsamina. 
2. I. Roylei . 
4. I. gigantea. 
7. I. amphorata. 
3. I. Thomsoni. 
5. I. amplexicaulis. 
* * Flowers yellow 
Flowers lp-l|- in. long, excluding the spur. Lip 
abruptly contracted into a strongly curved spur 
Flowers not more than 1 in. long, including the spur. 
Lip gradually narrowed into a nearly straight spur. 
Flowers \ in. long ...... 
Flowers 1 m. long . 
6. I. scabrida. 
8. L racemosa. 
9. I. la xi flora. 
* * * Flowers white, lip sometimes spotted 
Flowers \ in. long, including the spur. Spur in. long 10. I. micranthemum. 
Flowers \ in. long. Spur minute or none . . .11. I. hr achy centra 
1. Impatiens Balsamina, Linn. ; FI. Br. Ind. i. 453. Pubes- 
cent. Stems 6-18 in. Leaves alternate, sessile or shortly stalked, 
narrowly lanceolate, l|-2£ in., tapering to the base, sharply 
