''Impatiens'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of more than 1,000

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriat ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants t ...

s, widely distributed throughout the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

and the

tropics The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also refer ...

. Together with the genus '' Hydrocera'' (one species), ''Impatiens'' make up the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Balsaminaceae. Common names in North America include impatiens, jewelweed, touch-me-not, snapweed and patience. As a rule-of-thumb, "jewelweed" is used exclusively for

Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America ...

species, and balsam is usually applied to tropical species. In the British Isles by far the most common names are impatiens and busy lizzie, especially for the many varieties, hybrids and cultivars involving ''Impatiens walleriana''. "Busy lizzie" is also found in the American literature. The invasive alien ''Impatiens glandulifera'' is commonly called policeman's helmet in the UK.

Description

Most ''Impatiens'' species are herbaceous annuals or perennials with

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

stems. Only a few woody species exist. Plant size varies depending on the species, from five centimetres to 2.5 meters. Stems often form roots when they come into contact with the soil. The leaves are entire, often dentate or sinuate with extra floral nectaries. Depending on the species, leaves can be thin to succulent. Particularly on the underside of the leaves, tiny air bubbles are trapped over and under the leaf surface, giving them a silvery sheen that becomes pronounced when they are held under water. The zygomorphic flowers of ''Impatiens'' are protandric (male becoming female with age). The

calyx Calyx or calyce (plural "calyces"), from the Latin ''calix'' which itself comes from the Ancient Greek ''κάλυξ'' (''kálux'') meaning "husk" or "pod", may refer to: Biology * Calyx (anatomy), collective name for several cup-like structures ...

consists of five free sepals, of which one pair is often strongly reduced. The non-paired sepal forms a flower spur producing nectar. In a group of species from Madagascar the spur is completely lacking, but they still have three sepals. The crown consists of five petals, of which the lateral pairs are fused. The five stamens are fused and form a cap over the ovary, which falls off after the male phase. After the stamens have fallen off, the female phase starts and the stigma becomes receptive, which reduces self-pollination. The scientific name ''Impatiens'' (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

for "impatient") and the common name "touch-me-not" refer to the explosive dehiscence of the

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiosper ...

capsules. The mature capsules burst, sending seeds up to several meters away.

Distribution

The genus ''Impatiens'' occurs in Africa, Eurasia and North America. Two species (''Impatiens turrialbana'' and ''Impatiens mexicana'') occur in isolated areas in Central America (southern Mexico and Costa Rica). Most ''Impatiens'' species occur in the tropical and subtropical mountain forests in Africa, Madagascar, the Himalayas, the Western Ghats (southwest India) and southeast Asia. In Europe only a single ''Impatiens'' species (''Impatiens noli-tangere'') occurs naturally. However, several neophytic species exist. In the 19th and 20th centuries, humans transported the North American orange jewelweed (''I. capensis'') to

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...

, and potentially other areas of

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a r ...

and

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the a ...

. For example, it was not recorded from

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

as recently as 1996, but since then a population has

naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

Hagen Hagen () is the 41st-largest city in Germany. The municipality is located in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located on the south eastern edge of the Ruhr area, 15 km south of Dortmund, where the rivers Lenne and Volme (me ...

at the Ennepe River. The orange jewelweed is quite similar to the touch-me-not balsam (''I. noli-tangere''), the only ''Impatiens'' species native to Central and Northern Europe, and it utilizes similar habitats, but no evidence exists of natural hybrids between them. Small balsam (''I. parviflora''), originally native to southern

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes the fo ...

, is even more extensively naturalized in Europe. More problematic is the

Himalayan balsam ''Impatiens glandulifera'', Himalayan balsam, is a large annual plant native to the Himalayas. Via human introduction it is now present across much of the Northern Hemisphere and is considered an invasive species in many areas. Uprooting or cutt ...

(''I. glandulifera''), a densely growing species which displaces smaller plants by denying them sunlight. It is an invasive weed in many places, and tends to dominate riparian vegetation along polluted rivers and

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...

-rich spots. Thus, it exacerbates

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syst ...

degradation by forming stands where few other plants can grow, and by rendering riverbanks more prone to

erosion Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is d ...

, as it has only a shallow root system.

Ecology

Most ''Impatiens'' species are perennial herbs. However, several annual species exist, especially in the temperate regions as well as in the Himalayas. A few ''Impatiens'' species in southeast Asia (e.g. ''Impatiens kerriae'' or ''Impatiens mirabilis'') form shrubs or small trees up to three meters tall. Most ''Impatiens'' species occur in forests, especially along streams and paths or at the forest edge with a little bit of sunlight. Additionally, a few species occur in open landscapes, such as heathland, river banks or savanna. The genus ''Impatiens'' is characterized by a large variety of flower architectures. Traditionally two flower types are differentiated: one with a sacculate spur and a more or less two-lipped flower and a second with a filiform spur and a flat flower surface. However, several transition forms exist. Additionally, a group of 125 spur-less species exist on Madagascar, forming a third main flower type. Due to the large variability in flower architecture it seems reasonable to group the species by their main pollinators: such as bees and bumblebees, butterflies, moths, flies, and sunbirds. Further, a few cleistogamous species exist. However, most species are dependent on pollinator activity for efficient seed production but many of them are self-compatible. Most temperate species as well as some tropical species can switch from chasmogamous (pollinator-dependent) to cleistogamous (seed production within closed flowers) flowers when nutrient and light conditions become adverse. Impatiens zombensis

''Impatiens'' foliage is used for food by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. ...

e of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described speci ...

species, such as the dot moth (''Melanchra persicariae''), as well as other

insect Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pa ...

s, such as the

Japanese beetle The Japanese beetle (''Popillia japonica'') is a species of scarab beetle. The adult measures in length and in width, has iridescent copper-colored elytra and a green thorax and head. It is not very destructive in Japan (where it is control ...

(''Popillia japonica''). The leaves are

toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a sub ...

to many other animals, including the budgerigar (''Melopsittacus undulatus''), but the bird will readily eat the flowers. The flowers are also visited by

bumblebee A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only Extant taxon, extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct r ...

s and certain Lepidoptera, such as the common spotted flat (''Celaenorrhinus leucocera'').

Parasitic plant A parasitic plant is a plant that derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from another living plant. They make up about 1% of angiosperms and are found in almost every biome. All parasitic plants develop a specialized organ called th ...

s that use impatiens as hosts include the European dodder (''Cuscuta europaea''). A number of plant diseases affect this genus. Erlenbach TS Springkraut

The starkly differing flower shapes found in this genus, combined with the easy cultivation of many species, have served to make some balsam species

model organism A model organism (often shortened to model) is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workin ...

s in plant evolutionary developmental biology. Also, ''Impatiens'' is rather closely related to the carnivorous plant families

Roridulaceae ''Roridula'' (; from Latin ''roridus'' "dewy") is a genus of evergreen, insect-trapping shrubs, with two species, of about 1⅓–2 m (4–6⅔ ft). It is the only genus in the family Roridulaceae. It has thin, woody, shyly branching, upright, in ...

and Sarraceniaceae. Peculiar stalked

gland In animals, a gland is a group of cells in an animal's body that synthesizes substances (such as hormones) for release into the bloodstream (endocrine gland) or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface (exocrine gland). Structure De ...

s found on balsam

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coine ...

s secrete

mucus Mucus ( ) is a slippery aqueous secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is typically produced from cells found in mucous glands, although it may also originate from mixed glands, which contain both serous and mucous cells. It ...

and might be related to the structures from which the prey-catching and -digesting glands of these carnivorous plants evolved. Balsams are not known to be protocarnivorous plants, however. In 2011–2013, the United States experienced a significant outbreak of the fungal disease downy mildew that affects impatiens, particularly ''Impatiens walleriana''. The disease was also reported in Canada as well. The pathogen ''plasmopara obducens'' is the chief culprit suspected by scientists, but ''Bremiella sphaerosperma'' is related. These pathogens were first reported in the United States in 2004.

Medicinal uses and phytochemistry

Impatiens contain 2-methoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone, an anti-inflammatory and fungicide naphthoquinone that is an active ingredient in some formulations of

Preparation H Preparation H is an American brand of medications that is made by Pfizer, used in the treatment of hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are caused at least in part by inflamed blood vessels, and most versions of Preparation H work by reducing inflammation i ...

. North American impatiens have been used as herbal remedies for the treatment of bee stings, insect bites, and stinging nettle (''Urtica dioica'') rashes. They are also used after poison ivy (''Toxicodendron radicans'') contact to prevent a rash from developing. The efficacy of orange jewelweed (''I. capensis'') and yellow jewelweed (''I. pallida'') in preventing poison ivy contact dermatitis has been studied, with conflicting results.Benzie, I. F. F. and S. Wachtel-Galor, editors.
Herbal Medicine: Biomolecular and Clinical Aspects.
' 2nd edition. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. 2011. A study in 1958 found that '' Impatiens biflora'' was an effective alternative to standard treatment for dermatitis caused by contact with sumac, while later studies found that the species had no

antipruritic Antipruritics, abirritants, or anti-itch drugs, are medications that inhibit the itching (Latin: '' pruritus'') often associated with sunburns, allergic reactions, eczema, psoriasis, chickenpox, fungal infections, insect bites and stings like ...

effects after the rash has developed. Researchers reviewing these contradictions state that potential reason for these conflicts include the method of preparation and timing of application. A 2012 study found that while an extract of orange jewelweed and garden jewelweed (''I. balsamina'') was not effective in reducing contact dermatitis, a mash of the plants applied topically decreased it. ''Impatiens glandulifera'' is one of the

Bach flower remedies Bach flower remedies (BFRs) are solutions of brandy and water—the water containing extreme dilutions of flower material developed by Edward Bach, an English homeopath, in the 1930s. Bach claimed that the dew found on flower petals retains ...

, flower extracts used as herbal remedies for physical and emotional problems. It is included in the "Rescue Remedy" or "Five Flower Remedy", a potion touted as a treatment for acute

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion which is characterized by an unpleasant state of inner turmoil and includes feelings of dread over anticipated events. Anxiety is different than fear in that the former is defined as the anticipation of a future threat wh ...

and which is supposed to be protective in stressful situations. Studies have found no difference between the effect of the potion and that of a

placebo A placebo ( ) is a substance or treatment which is designed to have no therapeutic value. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like Saline (medicine), saline), sham surgery, and other procedures. In general ...

. All ''Impatiens'' taste bitter and seem to be slightly

upon ingestion, causing intestinal ailments like

vomiting Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenter ...

and

diarrhea Diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements each day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration due to fluid loss. Signs of dehydration often begin w ...

. The toxic compounds have not been identified but are probably the same as those responsible for the bitter taste, likely might be

glycoside In chemistry, a glycoside is a molecule in which a sugar is bound to another functional group via a glycosidic bond. Glycosides play numerous important roles in living organisms. Many plants store chemicals in the form of inactive glycosides. ...

s or

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of simila ...

α-Parinaric acid, a polyunsaturated fatty acid discovered in the seeds of the makita tree (''

Atuna racemosa subsp. racemosa ''Atuna racemosa'' subsp. ''racemosa'' is a subspecies of ''Atuna racemosa'', a plant species in the family Chrysobalanaceae. It is a tree of moderate size, widespread over the Indo-Malaysian and South Pacific areas. It is found growing in s ...

''), is together with

linolenic acid Linolenic acid is a type of naturally-occurring fatty acid. It can refer to either of two octadecatrienoic acids (i.e. with an 18-carbon chain and three double bonds, which are found in the '' cis'' configuration), or a mixture of the two. Linol ...

the predominant component of the seed fat of garden jewelweed (''I. balsamina''), and perhaps other species of ''Impatiens''. This is interesting from a

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups ...

perspective, because the makita tree is a member of the Chrysobalanaceae in a lineage of

eudicot The eudicots, Eudicotidae, or eudicotyledons are a clade of flowering plants mainly characterized by having two seed leaves upon germination. The term derives from Dicotyledons. Traditionally they were called tricolpates or non-magnoliid dico ...

s entirely distinct from the balsams. Certain jewelweeds, including the garden jewelweed contain the naphthoquinone lawsone, a

dye A dye is a colored substance that chemically bonds to the substrate to which it is being applied. This distinguishes dyes from pigments which do not chemically bind to the material they color. Dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution and ...

that is also found in henna (''Lawsonia inermis'') and is also the hair coloring and skin coloring agent in mehndi. In ancient

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

, ''Impatiens'' petals mashed with

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

and

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of floweri ...

petals and alum were used as

nail polish Nail polish (also known as nail varnish or nail enamel) is a lacquer that can be applied to the human fingernail or toenails to decorate and protect the nail plates. The formula has been revised repeatedly to enhance its decorative properties ...

: leaving the mixture on the nails for some hours colored them pink or reddish.

Cultivation

Impatiens are popular garden annuals. Hybrids, typically derived from busy lizzie (''I. walleriana'') and New Guinea impatiens (''I. hawkeri''), have commercial importance as garden plants. ''I. walleriana'' is native to

East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territories make up Eastern Africa: Due to the historica ...

,Ombrello, T
''Impatiens wallerana''.
Union County College Faculty Websites. and yielded 'Elfin' series of

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

s, which was subsequently improved as the 'Super Elfin' series. Double-flowered cultivars also exist.

Other ''Impatiens'' species, such as African queen (''I. auricoma''), garden jewelweed (''I. balsamina''), blue diamond impatiens (''I. namchabarwensis''), parrot flower (''I. psittacina''), Congo cockatoo (''I. niamniamensis''), Ceylon balsam (''I. repens''), and poor man's rhododendron (''I. sodenii''), are also used as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

Species

Footnotes

References

* * Forest Herbarium (BKF). 2010. The Encyclopedia of Plants in Thailand
Balsaminaceae in Thailand
(เทียน in Thai) * Hepper, J.Nigel (Ed) 1982. ''Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Gardens for Science & Pleasure.'' London. Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

External links

Flora Europaea: ''Impatiens''Flora of Madagascar: ''Impatiens'' species list
* ttps://archive.org/details/impatiensvibrant0000morg/page/176 Impatiens: the vibrant world of Busy Lizzies, Balsams, and Touch-me-notsbr>UK National Plant Collection of ''Impatiens''
*

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