Jewelweed flowers and "fruit"

Jewelweed is a species of the plant genus, Impatiens. The following gallery features several close-up photos of Jewelweed flowers and “fruit” (seed pods) spotted during a photowalk through the “Wildlife Sanctuary,” one of seven small parks owned and maintained by the Community Association of Hollin Hills, Fairfax County, Virginia USA.

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is also commonly known as “Touch-me-not.” “The seed pods are pendant and have projectile seeds that explode out of the pods when they are lightly touched, if ripe, which is where the name ‘touch-me-not’ comes from.” Source Credit: “Impatiens capensis” (Wikipedia). Photo 2 of 4 is a copy of Photo 3, kindly annotated by Project Noah spotter “AshleyBradford” in order to highlight the flower buds and seed pods; Photo 3 of 4 is the original photograph. Ashley’s comment on my initial Project Noah spotting of Jewelweed piqued my curiosity about the meaning of “Touch-me-not,” which led to further discussion and a follow-up spotting. I’m eager to revisit the site to see what happens when the seed pods are touched! More later in a follow-up post. In the meantime, check out a video clip showing what happens when you touch a “Touch-me-not” (Impatiens glandulifera).

Habitat: The plant covered a broad area in a clearing of a deciduous forest, between two forks of an intermittent stream running through the park, as shown in the following photo gallery.

Tags: Apple iPhone, digital photography, natural science, photowalking, Project Noah