Common name: Impatiens, Garden Balsam, Busy Lizzie
Impatiens walleriana Hook.f. APNI*
Description: Glabrous perennial herb to 1 m high, stems ± succulent.
Leaves ovate to broad-ovate, 4–11 cm long, 10–40 mm wide, apex acuminate, margins coarsely toothed, glabrous; petiole 10–40 mm long, with scattered stalked glands.
Flowers mostly pink to red or white, usually 2 or 3 together, peduncles 2–5 cm long; pedicels 10–30 mm long. Lowermost sepal c. 10 mm long, whitish, spur c. 20 mm long; lateral sepals c. 5 mm long, green. Petals 10–20 mm long; uppermost petal largest, keeled; lateral petals fused towards base.
Capsule swollen in the middle, c. 15 mm long.
Flowering: throughout year.
Distribution and occurrence: Often cultivated as an ornamental; naturalized in bushland and around habitation on the Central and South Coast of NSW. Native of southern Afr.
NSW subdivisions: *CC, *SC
Text by S.M. Hastings Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data ***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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