Family:
Balsaminaceae
Common Name(s):
Touch-me-not (spotted and pale)
Flowering Time:
Mid July to early September
Fruit/Seed Maturation Sign:
Capsules dehisce (open) readily when touched
Fruit/Seed Collection Dates:
September
Seed Cleaning:
None required
Storage:
Purchased dry seed resulted in no field germination (Mottl 2000)
Restoration Potential:
Low
Notes
In a greenhouse trial, failed to germinate after one cycle of cold stratification (Mabry and Mottl, personal observation).
Seed output low; no vegetative spread (an annual species) (Barkely 1986, Gleason and Cronquist 1991).
Restricted to moist to mesic woods (Eilers and Roosa 1994).
Members of the genus also known as jewel weed and snapdragon (Fernald 1950).
Fun fact: The fruit is a capsule that shrinks as it dries, causing it to split (often when touched) and scatter the seeds (Runkel and Bull 2009).
