Impatiens amplexicaulis
Edgew.
Clasping-leaf balsam
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) swanand kesari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by swanand kesari
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) swanand kesari, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Description
An annual plant. It grows 20-40 cm tall. The stems are 4 sided. The leaves are opposite in the lower part of the stem and opposite in the upper part. They do not have leaf stalks. The leaves are oblong and 5-15 cm long by 3-5 cm wide. There are teeth along the edge. There are 6-13 flowers in a group in the axils of leaves. The flowers are pink or purple. The fruit is a capsule. The seeds are oval and black-brown.
Edible Uses
The seeds are eaten.
Distribution
It is a temperate plant. In Tibet it grows along roadsides between 2,900-3,200 m above sea level.
Where It Grows
Asia, China, Himalayas, India, Nepal, Tibet,
Notes
There are about 850 Impatiens species.
References (3)
- Gautam, R. S., et al, 2020, Wild Edible Fruits of Nepal. Int. J. Appl. Sci. Biotechnol. Vol 8(3): 289-304
- Singh, H.B., Arora R.K.,1978, Wild edible Plants of India. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. p 82 (As Impatiens amplexicaule)
- Trans. Linn. Soc. London 20:37. 1846
