"Matt & Trai Rathsack" wrote in message
...

"Tina Gibson" wrote in message
news:sadfb.10224$6C4.1441@pd7tw1no...

"Jan Flora" wrote in message


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In article ,
(MLEBLANCA) wrote:

In article , "Matt & Trai Rathsack"
writes:

They are yellow with orange flecks, shaped a bit like standard
orchids
bred
with pitcher plants at a minute size. They are approximately .5"
in
length
and have a tail. The shrub grows in great round clumps, about 4
feet
high
and 4 feet in width. The most interesting thing about them is that
the
fruit they produce is about .5" in lenght adn are colored a bit ike
a
watermelon without the light yellow, and they "explode" when
touched.
The
pod is striated, and the individual parts peel back like a banana
but
curl
under. The seeds are small and brown.


Jewelweed or Touch me not
Impatiens capensis

Yep. If you have stinging nettle, rubbing a leaf from jewelweed on
the
sting
will make it stop stinging. The plants usually grow near each other.

Jan
Also found near poison ivy and is an antidote for the itch when crushed
and
rubbed.
Warning about these plants - they are highly invasive and you will
likely
curse the day you brought them into your yard!!! Take it from one who
also
thought they were very pretty flowers once. Now every spring I am still
pulling out thousands of little jewelweed seedlings!! A few always
manage
to
go unnoticed growing among other plants. And they will grow anywhere
even
in
the darkest spots in your garden. Tina

Hm, well, I'll have to note that in my garden book. I have them growing
wild in the back, next to the park our property runs adjacent to.
interesting. What is the chemicla in the leaf that breaks down the
poisons?

trai

Honestly don't know, probably have read it but never really payed
attention - I may just google it though. There is lots on the net about it.
Apparently work good on insect bites as well - wasps, bees, other 'hurting
kind'. But just about any crushed plant will do as well. I'm guessing some
kind of flavenoid..