Impatiens pallida

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Pale jewelweed
Impatiens pallida.jpg
Pale jewelweed blooming in the rare Charitable Research Reserve (Ontario, Canada)
Status TNC G5.svg
Secure  (NatureServe) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Ericales
Family: Balsaminaceae
Genus: Impatiens
Species:
I. pallida
Binomial name
Impatiens pallida

Impatiens pallida, with the common names pale jewelweed, [2] pale touch-me-not, [3] or yellow jewelweed, [4] is a flowering annual plant in the family Balsaminaceae native to Canada and the United States. It grows in moist to wet soils, generally alongside the closely related Impatiens capensis , producing flowers from midsummer through fall.

Contents

Description

Yellow jewelweed flower and leaves Yellow Jewelweed.jpg
Yellow jewelweed flower and leaves

The plant can grow up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) in height. [5] The light green stems branch frequently and are smooth and slightly succulent. Leaves measure up to 10 centimetres (4 in) long and 5 centimetres (2 in) across and are alternate. They are simple, hairless, ovate, and have teeth on the margins. [4]

The flowers are yellow, with reddish-spots on their faces, differentiating the plant from the similar Impatiens capensis , which has orange flowers. They are tube or funnel shaped and 3–4 centimetres (1–1.5 in) long, with nectar stored at a narrow spur at the back of the flower. [6] The flowers cluster in small quantities among the upper leaves. [5] After blooming, the flowers are replaced by a narrow seed pod up to 3 centimetres (1 in) long. When the seeds are ripe, they explode from the pod when touched, giving the plant its common name, touch-me-not. [6]

Pollination

Nectar spurs are tubular elongations of petals and sepals of certain flowers that usually contain nectar. Flowers of Impatiens pallida have nectar spurs which are thought to have played a role in plant-pollinator coevolution. Most of the nectar spurs of Impatiens pallida are perpendicular but some of them are curved. [7]

These nectar spur flowers are either partially or completely pollinated by insects. The specific pollinator is determined by the curvature of the nectar spur. Since Impatiens pallida have perpendicular nectar spurs, bees are the main pollinators. [7]

Distribution and habitat

I. pallida is native in the United States from North Dakota to the north and west, Georgia to the south, and Maine to the east. In Canada, it is native in Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia. It can be found in wet, soggy soils, such as along ponds and streams, in swamps, in moist deciduous woodlands, and in wet thickets. [6]

Uses

Like Impatiens capensis , the young shoots can be boiled (with two changes of water) as a potherb, and the seeds are also edible. [5]

Along with other species of jewelweed or "touch-me-not", it is a traditional remedy for skin rashes.

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<i>Impatiens capensis</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Impatiens noli-tangere</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Impatiens balsamina</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Balsaminaceae

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<i>Asarum caudatum</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Impatiens sakeriana</i> Species of flowering plant

Impatiens sakeriana is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Balsaminaceae. It is native to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea and grows in mountain forest understory habitat at elevations up to 3000 meters. I. sakeriana is most often cited for its role in sunbird pollination. It can be locally common in parts of its range, but its habitat is threatened by agriculture.

<i>Impatiens parviflora</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Zizia aurea</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Impatiens balfourii</i> Species of orchid

Impatiens balfourii is a species of the genus Impatiens known by the common names Balfour's touch-me-not, Kashmir balsam, and poor man's orchid. It belongs to the family Balsaminaceae.

<i>Impatiens ecornuta</i> Species of flowering plant

Impatiens ecornuta, the spurless touch-me-not or western touch-me-not, is an annual flowering plant native to the northwestern United States and British Columbia in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nectar spur</span>

A nectar spur is a hollow extension of a part of a flower. The spur may arise from various parts of the flower: the sepals, petals, or hypanthium, and often contain tissues that secrete nectar (nectaries). Nectar spurs are present in many clades across the angiosperms, and are often cited as an example of convergent evolution.

<i>Impatiens aurella</i> Species of flowering plant

Impatiens aurella, also known as the Idaho jewelweed, mountain jewelweed, varied jewelweed, or pale yellow touch-me-not, is a species of flowering plant in the family Balsaminaceae. It is found in northwest North America up through British Columbia, Canada. It produces a yellow-orange flower during the blooming months of late June/early July through September. The plant is an annual herb that grows to just over 1 m tall. As a member of the genus Impatiens it is also a touch-me-not, a herbaceous plant that has a ripe seed capsule that will explode. The flowers are considered toxic, and should not be ingested. Once cultivated, the plant has medicinal properties to help in the treatment of warts, ringworm, nettle stings, and poison ivy rash. Additional research suggests yellow dye and shampoo for itchy scalps may be possible from this species.

References

  1. NatureServe (1 September 2023). "Impatiens pallida". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  2. "NatureServe Explorer 2.0". explorer.natureserve.org.
  3. "USDA Plants Database". plants.usda.gov.
  4. 1 2 "Yellow Jewelweed (Impatiens pallida)". www.illinoiswildflowers.info.
  5. 1 2 3 Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982]. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York: Sterling. p. 119. ISBN   978-1-4027-6715-9. OCLC   244766414.
  6. 1 2 3 "Impatiens pallida (Pale Touch-me-not): Minnesota Wildflowers". www.minnesotawildflowers.info.
  7. 1 2 Tavers, S.E., Temeles, E.J. and I. Pan. "The relationship between nectar spur curvature in jewelweed (Impatients capensis) and pollen removal by hummingbird pollinators", Canadian Journal of Botany, 2003, vol. 81, pp. 164-170