Impatiens balsamina
Family
Balsaminaceae
Flora category
Vascular – Exotic
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Conservation status
Not applicable
Flower colours
Red/Pink, Violet/Purple
Etymology
impatiens: From the Latin impatiens ‘impatient, hasty’, referring perhaps to the manner in which the pods of some species explode (Johnson and Smith, 1986).
balsamina: From Latin ‘balsameus’, meaning balsamic, with a resinous smell or exudation
References and further reading
Johnson, A. T. and Smith, H. A (1986). Plant Names Simplified: Their pronunciation, derivation and meaning. Landsman Bookshop Ltd: Buckenhill, UK.