Jewel Weed or Touch Me Not

The name Jewel Weed, some think, comes from the fact that the flower hangs from the stem the way a dangling jeweled earring hangs from an ear lobe. Others, think it may be because of the way water beads up in such a pretty way at the edges of the leaves, like jewels. ( click on the photo to see the droplets on the leaves) The name,Touch Me Not, comes from the the way seed pods explode when touched. They are a late summer treat for children. Just one touch causes the mature seed pod to spiral like a cork screw and this sends the seeds flying out four or five feet. The scientific name is not such a good fit. Impaiens Capensis, translates, at least partially, as "of the Cape of Good Hope". Mr. Meerburgh, in 1775, thought that the flower which had been introduced to European gardens was from the tip of Africa and thus named it. He had no idea that it was native to North America. And, because the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature does not allow changes in the name on the grounds that it is inappropriate, the name remains inappropriate.

Where I found it :  on a patch of wet land at the back of the field