Impatiens capensis

Spotted Touch-Me-Not, Jewel-Weed, Balsam

Created by Julia Poole

E-Mail Address: JEP@arches.uga.edu


Photo courtesy of The University of Georgia Herbarium

additional images

Higher Taxa:

As listed by Cronquist's System

(Mabberley 1987)

Identification: Aquatic and Wetland Plants of the Southeastern United States describes I. capensis in the following manner:

Glabrous bright green herbto 1.5m tall. Stems slightly glaucous. Leaves soft, pale or glaucous beneath, ovate to elliptic, 3-12 cm long.., margins crenate, on petioles to 10 cm long. Flowers drooping on slender pedicels, orange with crimson spots or variously colored, the saclike sepal conic, 6 mm or more long, its spur about 8 mm long and bent backwards paprllel with the sac; minute cleistogamous flowers produced on small or poorly developed plants. Capsules about 2 cm long. (Godfrey & Wooten 1981)
The Dutch gardener and curator of the Leiden botanical garden, Nicolaas Meerburgh first described Impatiens capensis. It was frist described in the reference text Afbeeldingen van zeldame gewassen...te leydon (by Johannes le Mair) 1775. This text is located in the Inter Documentation Company, Poststrasse, Zug, Switzerland. Microfiche #441. Meerburgh's son put the original herbarium up for sale in 1816, but the present location is unknown. (Staflen & Cowan 1976)

Geography:

Table I: North American Distribution of I. capensis

Impatiens capensis

AREA STATUS REFERENCES
North America:
Continental United States; Canada		 Yes Godfrey & Wooten 1981
Eastern North America:
United States east of Mississippi;
Ontario and eastern Canada		 Yes Godfrey & Wooten 1981
Southeastern United States:
AL AR DE DC FL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV		 Yes Godfrey & Wooten 1981
Southern Appalachian States:
AL GA KY MD NC SC TN VA WV		 Yes Godfrey & Wooten 1981
Coastal Plain Yes Jones & Coile, 1988
Piedmont Yes Jones & Coile, 1988
Blue Ridge Mountains Yes Chester, Wofford, & Kral 1997
Great Smoky Mountains National Park Yes Chester, Wofford, & Kral 1997
Ridge and Valley Yes Chester, Wofford, & Kral 1997
Cumberland Plateau No Jones & Coile, 1988
Central Arch ? -
Georgia Yes Jones & Coile, 1988
Clarke County, Georgia Yes Jones & Coile, 1988
Sams Farm No Julia Poole, Pers.Ob.
Old Field No Julia Poole, Pers. Ob.
Wetland ? -
Woods No Julia Poole, Pers. Ob.
1-Hectare Plot No Julia Poole, Pers. Ob.


Natural History: The Impatiens are annuals. In gardens, "soil should be rich in organic matter to retain moisture, lightly fertilized with 5-10-5 before planting, and lots of water should be applied. Mulch can be added to aid in moisture retention. These plants row well in shade. They bloom continuously from mid-summer to fall and tolerate a wide range of climates."(Horan &Mason 1988)

How to Encounter: Impatins capensis is found in marshes, on streambanks, and alluvial woods. Jewel-Weed's tell-tale sign is the leaves changing to a silver hue when submerged in water.

References:

  1. Chester, Edward, Wofford, Eugene B., & Kral, Robert. 1997. Atlas of Tennessee Vascular Plants. Vol.2. The Center for Field Biology. Clarksville, Tennessee.

  2. Godfrey, Robert K. & Wooten, Jean W. 1981. Aquatic and Wetland Plants of the Southeastern United States. The University of Georgia Press. Athens, Georgia.

  3. Horan, Anne & Mason, Robert G. 1988. The Time-Life Gardener's Guide: Annuals. Time-Life Books, Inc. Alexandria, Virginia.

  4. Jones, Samuel B. & Coile, Nancy. 1988. The Distribution of the Vascular Flora of Georgia. The University of Georgia, Department of Botany. Athens, Georgia.

  5. Lawrence, George H.M. 1951. Taxonomy of Vascular Plants. The Macmillian Company. New York, New York.

  6. Mabberley, D.J. 1987. The Plant Book: A Portable Dictionary of the Higher Plants. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts.

  7. Staflen, Frans A. & Cowan, Richard S. 1976. Taxanomic Literature. Vol. 3. Bohn, Scheltema, & Holkema. Utrecht, Netherlands.