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Balsam |
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Liz Heard
Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Location: South West Status: Offline Points: 1429 |
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Posted: 23 Sep 2011 at 7:59pm |
hi folks!
out a-wandering looking for herps on Alney Island recently i espied the invasive Indian Balsam side-by-side with the less common (tho' also alien but - according to some sources - less prodigious Orange Balsam) this afforded me a pleasing photo opportunity; comparisons. leaf; Indian Balsam Impatiens glandulifera; Orange Balsam (less lanceolate) Impatiens capensis (looks like its got some sort of fungal infection!); Blooms; ive never (yet) encountered the (yellow-flowered) native species Impatiens. IE Touch-me-not Impatiens noli-tangere Suz or anyone here seen it. maybe got a pic? regards all, Ben |
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Many streams, riversides and damp ditches in East Devon thick with Indian Balsam. I've never seen the orange one but have to admit I find them both attractive. I know, I know, they're naughty invasive plants.
No Ben never seen the yellow flowered one but I looked it up online to check it out. |
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Suz
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tim hamlett
Senior Member Joined: 17 Dec 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1062 |
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hi
amazing to think they're so closely related to bizzie lizzies! they are invasive but me and the kids just love popping the ripe seed heads. on balance though i suppose we'd be better off without them. tim
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Robert V
Senior Member Joined: 06 Aug 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1264 |
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Are they also called Himalayan River Plant?
Because when i sent a pic of these to Peter Stafford at NHM, that's what he told me they were?
R
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RobV
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Suzy
Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1447 |
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Himalayan Balsam is what I know them as. I know a few people (men) who find the smell of the plants makes them feel slightly ill - headachey.
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Suz
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Noodles
Senior Member Joined: 05 Dec 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 534 |
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noli-tangere is a fine looking plant but there are few sites for it around here. I used to collect local records for this species in order to locate a rare moth larvae which feeds on it. I never took one pic though! If i'm passing by next August i'll get a pic in flower for thee
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Noodles
Senior Member Joined: 05 Dec 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 534 |
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Strangely enough i have just got the go-ahead for some building surveys 100m from a gorge full of Impatiens noli-tangere. I will endeavour to get some pics.....
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Liz Heard
Senior Member Joined: 27 Apr 2010 Location: South West Status: Offline Points: 1429 |
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never seen it so will look forward to those! |
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