Pale jewelweed (Impatiens pallida) on Mont Royal

During the lab 2 Bioblitz, I discovered a pale jewelweed at the foot of Mont Royal. Impatiens pallida, also known as the yellow jewelweed or yellow touch-me-not, belongs to the order Ericales which includes a wide range of well-known plants such as blueberry, kiwi, tea, and pitcher plants. More specifically, it is part of the balsam family comprised of its own genus, the touch-me-nots (Impatiens), and the marsh henna (Hydrocera triflora). Its closest relatives are Impatiens craddockii and Impatiens caleangensis (OneZoom Team, 2021). The yellow touch-me-not and other impatiens owe their peculiar common name to their seed capsules which burst open at the slightest touch. This seed dispersal mechanism ensures that at least a few seeds will land in places conducive to germination for the following spring (TWC Staff, 2014).

Although the plants I observed varied a lot in size and appearance, they all grew from and produce seeds capable of surviving the harsh winters of Montreal, allowing them to remain in the area for generations. The seeds are equipped with abscisic acid (ABA) which acts on genes within the seed's cells. ABA triggers the production of "chaperone proteins," special proteins that prevent cell membrane damage in extreme drought or cold. It also moderates cell metabolism thereby minimizing the amount of nutrients required by the seed over winter (Farnsworth, 2017).

Farnsworth, Elizabeth. “Earth Matters: How Seeds Survive the Winter.” Daily Hampshire Gazette, Concord
Monitor, 20 Oct. 2017, www.gazettenet.com/earth-matters-13197068.

OneZoom Team. “Text Page for Pale Snapweed.” Onezoom Tree of Life Explorer, OneZoom, 2021, www.onezoom.org/life/@Impatiens_pallida=402517?img=best_any&anim=flight#x851,y42,w0.8583.

TWC Staff. “Impatiens Pallida (Pale Touch-Me-Not) | Native Plants of North America.” Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - The University of Texas at Austin, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center | The University of Texas at Austin, 20 Aug. 2014, www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=IMPA.

Publicado el septiembre 23, 2021 12:09 MAÑANA por lucaalexandru lucaalexandru

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