Touch-me-not (Impatiens balsamina ) profile

Touch-Me-Not, scientific name Impatiens balsamina, is an annual herb flower of the Touch-Me-Not family, with a height of 60-100cm. Touch-Me-Not is divided into six parts: root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit and seed. Touch-Me-Not is edible, ornamental and medicinal.

Touch-me-not picutre

Touch-me-not characteristics

Touch-me-not (Impatiens balsamina) is an annual herb, 60-100cm tall. The whole plant is divided into six parts: root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit and seed. Stems of Touch-Me-Not are stout, fleshy, erect, unbranched or branched, glabrous or sparsely pubescent when young, base to 8mm in diameter, with many fibrous roots, lower nodes often enlarged.

Leaf  

Leaves of touch-me-not (Impatiens balsamina) are alternate, lowermost leaf sometimes opposite; Leaf blade is lanceolate, narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, 4 -- 12 x 1.5 -- 3cm, apex acute or acuminate, base cuneate, margin sharply serrate, often several pairs of sessile black glands toward base, glabrous or pubescent on both surfaces, lateral veins 4 -- 7 pairs; Petiole of Touch-Me-Not is 1 -- 3cm long, with shallow furrows above, with several pairs of petiolate glands on either side.

Flower  

Flowers of Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina) are solitary or 2-3 fascicled in axils, sessile, white, pink, or purple, single or double; Pedicels are 2 -- 2.5cm long, densely pilose; Bracts of Touch-Me-Not are linear, at base of pedicel; Lateral sepals 2, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 2 -- 3 mm long, labellum deeply navicular, 13 -- 19 mm long, 4 -- 8mm wide, pilose, base acute, 1 -- 2, 5cm long, incurved spur; The lower lobe is small, obovate-oblong, the upper lobe is nearly round, the apex is 2-lobed, the outer margin is near the base and the auricle is small. Touch-Me-Not has 5 stamens, filaments linear, anthers ovoid, apex obtuse; Ovary of Touch-Me-Not is fusiform, densely pilose. Capsule is wide fusiform, split at touch when ripe, 10-20mm long: both ends pointed, densely pilose.

Touch-me-not (Impatiens balsamina) looks like a butterfly, with pink, red, purple, white and yellow, sprinkled with gold, etc., good variation. Some species can have several color petals on the same plant.

The seed 

Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina) seeds are mostly round, 1.5-3 mm in diameter, black brown, shell burst when mature, the seeds will pop out, self-sowing propagation, so seed collection must be timely. 

The fruit  

Touch-Me-not (Impatiens balsamina) capsule broadly fusiform, 10-20 mm long: acute at both ends, densely pilose. Seed majority, spherical, diameter of 1.5-3 mm, black brown, mature shell burst, the seed pop-up, self-sowing reproduction, so the seed must be timely.

Touch-me-not habits

Touch-me-not (Impatiens balsamina) likes the sun, a little afraid of wet, heat resistance not cold, but barren tolerance. Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina) is pleasant to sunny terrain and loose fertile soil, in the more barren soil can also grow.

Touch-Me-Not origin  

Touch-Me-Not originated in India, South China, Malaysia. It is cultivated all over the world. 

Touch-Me-Not growth habit

Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina) likes a warm fear of cold, like sunshine, should be deep moist, loose and fertile, well drained micro acid soil.  

Touch-Me-Not propagation

Propagate to breed touch-me-not (Impatiens balsamina) Propagate by seed. Sowing from spring to autumn, sowing in spring is the most suitable, so in summer, mid-flowering, flowering period can be maintained for more than two months.

Touch-Me-Not growing methods

The selection of land and land preparation: with sufficient sunlight, moist soil, fertile, loose and good drainage of the soil is appropriate.  

Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina) sowing method: the seed is small and has a long life. The germination rate can still reach 79.7% when stored at room temperature for 3 years. Row spacing 35 cm, open 1 cm shallow ditch, the seeds evenly spread into the ditch, after the soil slightly suppressed, then water. After Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina) sowing, keep the soil moist and the seedlings will emerge in about 5 days when the temperature is about 25℃. Every 667 square meters with 500 grams of seed.

Thin the seedlings 5 to 10 cm high time seedlings, small, delicate, too dense between the seedlings, and according to 20 cm plant spacing. Reasonable dense planting can produce high quality and high yield. 

Seedling: the seeds are spread on the culture soil, lightly covered with soil about 0.3 cm, and germinate after 5 ~ 6 days. The true leaves of 3 ~ 4 pieces can be planted in flower pots or flower beds, and the plant spacing is 30 cm. 

 Flowering time control: if the Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina) flowering time is to be delayed, sowing can be done in early spring. Touch-Me-Not can also be used to pick the heart method, at the same time remove the early flowers and buds, so that the plant continues to expand, every 15 ~ 20 days top dressing 1 times.More buds are formed after September, making them bloom on National Day. 

Tillage weeding: after the emergence of Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina) weeds to prevent water, should be timely soil weeding. Water in time during drought. Plough and weed 2 ~ 3 times a year. 

Topdressing: Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina) seedlings 30 ~ 40 cm high, can remove the lower stem of the old leaves, pick the top, promote its branching. At this time, every 667 square meters of 40 kilograms of cake fertilizer, can be straight ditch, the fertilizer sprinkled into the ditch, covered with soil, watering. Pay attention to drainage in high temperatures and rainy seasons. 

Touch-Me-Not main value

Landscape utility

Touch-me-not (Impatiens balsamina) is one of the most popular grass flowers in China. Touch-Me-Not has strong adaptability, easy cultivation, rich colors, diverse flower types and variable plant types. Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina) is suitable for flower beds, flower paths, flower hedges, natural clumps and pot ornamental plants. 

Medicine value

Touch-me-not (Impatiens balsamina) is a famous Chinese medicine. Flowers used in medicine can promote blood circulation and eliminate distension, and treat injuries from falls. Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina) flower outside the liniment can treat goose palm crazy, but also in addition to body odor; Seed decoction cream on the outside, can treat numbness and pain. Activating blood circulation meridians, dispelling wind and dehumidification; Activating blood and relieving pain;Antidote and kill insects.

Edible value

Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens balsamina) is cultivated in the north and south provinces of China. When people cook meat and stew fish, they put several seeds into it. The meat is easy to rot and the bone is easy to crisp, which has a special flavor.

Touch-me-not (Impatiens balsamina) leaves can be blanched and salted.