Pale touch-me-not

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Pale touch-me-not

Pale touch-me-not

Pale touch-me-not

Pale touch-me-not

Pale touch-me-not

Pale touch-me-not

Pale touch-me-not leaf

Morphology

Stem

Ascending to erect, usually branched, hollow, glabrous, usually glaucous, nodes often swollen.

Leaves

Cauline, alternate, simple, glabrous, sometimes glaucous; petiole .4 to 3 inches; blade ovate to elliptic, 1 to 5 inches long, .8 to 2.5 inch wide, base acute to rounded, margins crenate to dentate, tip obtuse or acute.

Inflorescence

Axillary, flowers solitary or in clusters of 2-6; peduncles .4 to 1.6 inch.

Flower

Usually pale yellow, rarely white, usually unspotted, rarely with red spots, .8 to 1.4 inch, spur .16 to .25 inch, bent at right angle to sepal, never coiled; sepals 3, lower 1 petal-like, prolonged into tubular spur; petals 5, upper 1 distinct, lateral 4 connate in 2 pairs; stamens 5.

Fruit

Capsules .6 to 1.1 inch, clavate, fleshy, dehiscing elastically into 5 spirally coiled valves, dehiscence explosively loculicidal; seeds dark brown, oblong to ovate, about .2 inch, slightly flattened, tip with short, blunt beak, surfaces covered with sharp wrinkles or net-like ridges.

Ecology

Habitat

Moist woods and thickets, stream banks, and wetlands.

Distribution

East 1/4 of Kansas

Practical Information

Forage Value

The seeds are eaten by the white-footed mouse, ruffed grouse, ring-necked pheasant, greater prairie chicken, and bobwhite quail.

Additional Notes