Textor's touch-me-not is a wild impatiens of damp, shady East Asian streamsides, with rosy-purple flowers whose slim spur at the back coils into a spiral. It grows in Japan, Korea, China, and the Russian Far East and isn't native to the United States. Like other touch-me-nots, its ripe pods burst open at a touch and fling the seeds.
Appearance
- Growth form
- An annual about 16–31 in (40–80 cm) tall, with juicy, brittle stems that are often reddish at the swollen joints.
- Flowers
- Flowers are about 1.2–1.6 in (3–4 cm) long and rosy purple, with a deep, boat-shaped lower sepal. The slim spur at the back coils into a spiral. Each flower sheds pollen before its stigma is ready, which helps prevent self-pollination.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Mountain streamsides
- Wet, shady ground
- Range
- Native to East Asia: Japan, the Korean Peninsula, China, Mongolia, and eastern Siberia. Introduced in New Zealand. It isn't native to the United States.
- Preferred conditions
- Damp, shady spots along streams and in wet hollows.
Life cycle
- Seed dispersal
- Like other touch-me-nots, ripe pods burst open at a touch and fling the seeds.
Name and classification
- Varieties and forms
- A rare white-flowered form (f. pallescens) also occurs.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
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