Impatiens pallida - Jewelweed

2. Impatiens pallida - Pale Jewelweed or Pale Touch-Me-Not

We saw this flower on a nature walk with dear friends last Thursday. My friend suggested that it might be a Spotted Jewelweed (also known as touch-me-not). My research on the eNature.com (I couldn't find it in my wildflower guidebook) indicates that it is likely an Impatiens pallida, or Pale Jewelweed. The spotted version has a more golden-orange colour than this yellow, and its spotting is much more extensive on the lower petals.

This plant's blossom reminds me of a fluted goblet, the fluting being quite extravagant, yellow with reddish-orange spots on the petals where they direct the attention to the centre of the cup. I suppose that's to draw insects deep inside toward the pollen so they can participate in propagating the plant. Some of the flowers in the images I found online show more separation between the two lower petals, and there seems to be a range from not-at-all-spotted to spotted like the one I have pictured above within the range of Impatiens pallida.

It was in a wet area near a stream, well sheltered by trees. The stem is tall with viney branches supporting multiple leaves.

Now that I've looked at it a bit online and here in my photos, I realize that I've seen this flower along the river when we've gone walking, too. It has the lovely little seed pods that plump up and, when ready, explode when you touch them. (Hence the other name, Pale Touch-Me-Not.) I believe that those ones are even paler, and not spotted, although I'm going on memory here and I should really go check it out to be sure.

Here's what I've learned about it since identifying it. It is sometimes used as a home remedy for poison ivy, but scientific studies have shown no anti-itch properties. Jewelweed also contains the same dye found in Henna that is used for hair colouring and skin colouring in Mehndi.

Here is the plant growing along the path where we walked.

I hope to post lots more photos from that walk - it was a beautiful afternoon! (I might even post an entry from one or more of our nature journals...if I get ambitious.)