Identification: In Flora of the Rocky Mountians and Adjacent Plains by P.A. Rydberg, Ph.D. Impatiens Pallida is described as follows:
Stem usually light green, 1-2 m high; leaf-blades thin, bright green, oval or ovate, 3-15 cm long, crenate-dentate; lateral sepals broadly ovate, acuminate, light green, 5-7 mm long; posterior sepal light sulfur-yellow, usually unspotted, broadly conic, about 15 mm long, spur 3-8 mm long; petals of the same color as the spur or lighter, usually dotted, the anterior one broadly obovate, emarginate 7-8 mm long. (Rydberg 1969)Thomas Nuttall, a British naturalist and pioneer scientific explorer of the United States, was the first to describe Impatiens pallida. After 1918, Thomas Nuttall presented "the complete series of his plants to the Herbarium of Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania".(Staflen & Cowan 1976) Thomas Nuttall wrote many books concerning his travels and explorations in the United States. It is probable that Nuttall included a description of I. palida in A Catalogue of a Collection of Plants Made Chiefly in the Valleys of the Rocky Mountians which was published in 1834.
Geography:
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 | No | Jones & Coile, 1988 |
Piedmont | No | 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 | No | Jones & Coile, 1988 |
Sams Farm | No | Julia Poole, Pers.Ob. |
Old Field | No | Julia Poole, Pers. Ob. |
Wetland | No | Julia Poole, Pers. Ob. |
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: I. pallida is found in wet woods and meadows. It has been seen near or on river and stream banks in the foothills of South Carolina (Julia Poole, Pers. Ob.). Jewel-Weed's tell-tale sign is the leaves changing to a silver hue when submerged in water.
References: