Impatiens hochstetteri flower

Small tufts of hair can be seen between some of the leaf margin scallops on the Impatiens hochstetteri plant in picture.

The flower with its deeply lobed lower petals becomes about 2 cm in diameter. The thin, thread-like white spur of the flower protrudes behind the corolla in the photo. These spurs vary in length, typically becoming about 1,6 cm long. A yellowish green stalk of another flower bud, small and green, is also visible in the same area. Flower stalks become about 5 cm long.

The generic name impatiens is derived from the explosive characteristic of the seed pods that dehisce dramatically when ripe to release and scatter the seeds.

The plant features in traditional medicine in the treatment of eczema. A patch of them may serve as an attractive groundcover in a shady garden spot (Manning, 2009; Pooley, 1998).