SMALL BALSAM
Impatiens parviflora
Balsam Family [Balsaminaceae] 
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Balsam Family [Balsaminaceae]
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status
flower
flower
inner
morph
petals
type
stem
_2011_08_19_Todmorden_CraggVale_HebdenBridge_102p5.jpg)
| 19th Aug 2011, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Up to 2 feet tall, preferring light shade. |
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| 19th Aug 2011, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Leaves very similar to those of Himalayan Balsam, but flower much smaller and light yellow. |
_2011_08_19_Todmorden_CraggVale_HebdenBridge_084p4.jpg)
| 19th Aug 2011, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Flowers in-commensurate with the size of the leaves. |
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| 19th Aug 2011, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Flowers crowd on the end of long thin stalks, drooping slightly. |
_2011_08_19_Todmorden_CraggVale_HebdenBridge_081p1.jpg)
| 19th Aug 2011, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Leaves of variable size, young ones much smaller than slightly older ones. This is because the leaves grow alternate on the stem. |
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| 19th Aug 2011, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| The flowers are suspended somewhat precariously from a thin stalk. The usual spur of Balsams is short and straight. An un-opened flower bud poises above beside several long thin seed pods. |
_2011_08_19_Todmorden_CraggVale_HebdenBridge_082p2.jpg)
| 19th Aug 2011, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Flowers are pale yellow with two long lower lips, two much shorter side lobes, and a cowl at the top. Un-opened flower buds are reddish, narrow and with a spur at the rear. |
_2011_08_19_Todmorden_CraggVale_HebdenBridge_086p5.jpg)
| 19th Aug 2011, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Petals pale yellow without orange spots but with some scriptive thin orange lines in the throat. The two long lower lobes have nicks of various shapes whilst the two much smaller side lobes are paler or even white. A small cowl is at the top, which is reddish on the outside. |
_2011_08_19_Todmorden_CraggVale_HebdenBridge_090p9.jpg)
| 19th Aug 2011, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| Side lobes almost non-existent on this specimen, and the two lower lips have a different shape. Cowl reddish on outside, spur straight and conical. |
_2011_08_19_Todmorden_CraggVale_HebdenBridge_089p7.jpg)
| 19th Aug 2011, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| The cowl has a crease along the top; it once housed the whole flower apart from the spur. |
_2011_08_19_Todmorden_CraggVale_HebdenBridge_097p4.jpg)
| 19th Aug 2011, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| An un-opened flower bud bottom right is almost flat, with the reddish parts to become the cowl. |
_2011_08_19_Todmorden_CraggVale_HebdenBridge_088p6.jpg)
| 19th Aug 2011, Cragg Vale, West Yorkshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| The seed pods, squarish in cross-section, are covered in small flies. |
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Some similarities to : Himalayan Balsam but the flowers are much smaller and yellow rather than white, reddish or purplish.
Slight resemblance to : Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature :
No relation to : Frows in shady and bare places.
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 Impatiens
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parviflora
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⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ |
Balsaminaceae
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 Impatiens (Balsams) |
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Balsam Family [Balsaminaceae]
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BSBI maps