Impatiens tinctoria (PROTA)

Plant Resources of Tropical Africa Introduction

List of species

General importance
Geographic coverage Africa
Geographic coverage World
Dye / tannin
Medicinal
Timber
Ornamental
Forage / feed

flowers (Strange Wonderful Things)

Impatiens tinctoria A.Rich.

Protologue: Tent. fl. abyss. 1: 120 (1847).

Family: Balsaminaceae

Synonyms

• Impatiens prainiana Gilg (1909).

Vernacular names

• Balsamine (En).
• Balsamine (Fr).

Origin and geographic distribution

Impatiens tinctoria is found in south-eastern Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, western and southern Kenya, Uganda, DR Congo, southern Tanzania and northern Malawi. It is cultivated worldwide as an ornamental.

Uses

In Ethiopia women chop or mash the inside of the tubers of Impatiens tinctoria (‘ensolella’) into a paste to dye the palms and nails of the hands and feet a dark reddish colour. It is considered a beauty treatment similar to that of henna and it helps to control fungal infections and it toughens the skin. The tubers are also used to dye cloth. The juice of pounded roots is one of the ingredients for a red ink. Medicinally, a root decoction is drunk against abdominal pains and as a purgative. The stem is chewed to treat mouth and throat diseases. Horses and mules graze the plant. Impatiens tinctoria is cultivated for its striking flowers as an indoor and outdoor ornamental in tropical and temperate regions.

Properties

The flowers and leaves of another species, Impatiens balsamina L. (garden balsam, native of India and parts of mainland South-East Asia but widely cultivated as an ornamental, also in Africa) are used to prepare a red dye to colour the nails and are used as a substitute for henna because they contain the same dyeing agents lawsone and derivatives, as well as anthocyans and flavonoids such as kaempferol, quercetin and a rhamnocitrin glycoside. Although the dye components of Impatiens tinctoria and many other species (e.g. Impatiens rothii Hook.f.), also used to dye the skin red, have not been thoroughly investigated, they all contain naphtoquinone derivates close to lawsone and might be used as substitutes for henna. Medicinally, lawsone shows antifungal activity and is active against fungi causing ringworm, athlete’s foot (tinea pedis).

Description

• Erect, glabrous, perennial herb up to 2 m tall, with a succulent hollow stem and a large tuberous rootstock up to 30 cm × 10 cm.
• Leaves arranged spirally, simple; stipules absent; petiole up to 9 cm long, sometimes bearing glands near the top; blade oblong-lanceolate to broadly ovate, 7–32 cm × 2.5–10 cm, base cuneate, apex usually acuminate, margins crenate to serrate, lateral veins in 7–14 pairs.
• Inflorescence an axillary 3–9-flowered raceme; peduncle up to 30 cm long.
• Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, 5-merous, fragrant, white but lower petals often spotted pink or purple near base; pedicel up to 4 cm long; lateral sepals 4, ovate or oblong, 6–10 mm × 4–7 mm, lower sepal funnel-shaped, gradually constricted into a 3–13 cm long filiform spur; dorsal petal hood-like, 17–22 mm × 10–14 mm, crested dorsally, lateral petals 4, united in pairs, upper one of each pair small, 6–15 mm × 2–5 mm, lower one large, 16–50 mm × 16–46 mm; stamens 5, connate in a ring; ovary superior, 5-celled, style very short.
• Fruit a cylindrical, 5-valved, fleshy, explosively dehiscent capsule up to 4 cm long, many-seeded.
• Seeds ovoid, glabrous.

Other botanical information

Impatiens is a large genus comprising more than 1000 species, and occurs in tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia and Central America, as well as in temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, but it is absent in South America and Australia. In Africa more than 100 species occur. Impatiens tinctoria is variable; it has been subdivided into 5 subspecies, mainly based on differences in leaf, flower and spur size.

Impatiens rothii

In Ethiopia, the tubers of Impatiens rothii (‘girshirit’) are also used for a dark reddish dye.

Ecology

Impatiens tinctoria usually occurs in damp, shady localities, in upland rain forest, forest fringes and gullies, along streams and on shady banks, usually at 700–3600 m altitude.

Management

Although Impatiens tinctoria is cultivated for its tubers in Ethiopia (southern Tigray), no cultivation details are known. As an ornamental, it is easily propagated by cuttings, and can be grown indoor in pots and outside, provided it is protected against frost. Red spider mite and aphids can be problematic pests.

For dyeing the skin, tubers are washed and sometimes peeled, chopped and left steeping for at least 12 hours. Then they are heated, mashed and the paste is applied to palms and nails of hands only (for young girls) or to hands and feet (adult women). It can also be put in leaves, wrapped and tied around the hands and feet for 6–8 hours to get a more lasting dye. To dye cloth, salt and oil are added to the dye bath where chopped tubers are boiling before plunging the cloth. A red ink is obtained by mixing the juices of the tubers of Impatiens tinctoria (‘ensolella’), Impatiens rothii (‘girshirit’) and Rubia cordifolia L. (‘minchier’), and the bark of Osyris quadripartita Salzm. ex Decne. (‘keret’), then letting the liquid mixture thicken in the sun.

Genetic resources

Impatiens tinctoria is widespread in Africa and does not seem to be in danger of genetic erosion. Nevertheless, because of its great diversity, collection of germplasm is strongly recommended.

Prospects

As a dye, Impatiens tinctoria most probably will remain only of local importance in Ethiopia. Its importance as an easy-to-grow, fragrant, large ornamental will remain considerable.

Major references

• Grey-Wilson, C., 1980. Impatiens in Africa. Morphology, pollination and pollinators, ecology, phytogeography, hybridisation, keys and a systematic treatment of all african species. With a note on collecting and cultivation. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands. 235 pp.

• Kokwaro, J.O., 1993. Medicinal plants of East Africa. 2nd Edition. Kenya Literature Bureau, Nairobi, Kenya. 401 pp.

• Lemordant, D., 1971. Contribution à l’ethnobotanique éthiopienne 2. Journal d'Agriculture Tropicale et de Botanique Appliquée 18(4–6): 142–179.

• Mesfin Tadesse, 2000. Balsaminaceae. In: Edwards, S., Mesfin Tadesse, Demissew Sebsebe & Hedberg, I. (Editors). Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Volume 2, part 1. Magnoliaceae to Flacourtiaceae. The National Herbarium, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Department of Systematic Botany, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. pp. 388–393.

• Tournerie, P.J.M., 1986. Colour and dye recipes of Ethiopia. Published by the author, Exeter, United Kingdom. 152 pp.

Other references

• Grant-Downton, R., 1992. In praise of Impatiens tinctoria. Garden (London) 117(12): 584–585.

• Grey-Wilson, C., 1982. Balsaminaceae. In: Polhill, R.M. (Editor). Flora of Tropical East Africa. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands. 76 pp.

• Launert, E., 1963. Balsaminaceae. In: Exell, A.W., Fernandes, A. & Wild, H. (Editors). Flora Zambesiaca. Volume 2, part 1. Crown Agents for Oversea Governments and Administrations, London, United Kingdom. pp. 162–180.

• Phuphathanaphong, L., 1991. Impatiens balsamina L. In: Lemmens, R.H.M.J. & Wulijarni-Soetjipto, N. (Editors). Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 3. Dye and tannin producing plants. Pudoc, Wageningen, Netherlands. pp. 80–81.

• Rosna Mat Taha, 2001. Impatiens L. In: van Valkenburg, J.L.C.H. & Bunyapraphatsara, N. (Editors). Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(2). Medicinal and poisonous plants 2. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, Netherlands. pp. 306–310.

• Westphal, E., 1975. Agricultural systems in Ethiopia. Agricultural Research Reports 826. Centre for Agricultural Publishing and Documentation, Wageningen, Netherlands. 278 pp.

• Wilczek, R. & Schulze, G.M., 1960. Balsaminaceae. In: Robyns, W., Staner, P., Demaret, F., Germain, R., Gilbert, G., Hauman, L., Homès, M., Jurion, F., Lebrun, J., Vanden Abeele, M. & Boutique, R. (Editors). Flore du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi. Spermatophytes. Volume 9. Institut National pour l’Étude Agronomique du Congo belge, Brussels, Belgium. pp. 396–428.

Author(s)

• P.C.M. Jansen, PROTA Network Office Europe, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 341, 6700 AH Wageningen, Netherlands

Correct citation of this article

Jansen, P.C.M., 2005. Impatiens tinctoria A.Rich. In: Jansen, P.C.M. & Cardon, D. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa / Ressources végétales de l’Afrique tropicale), Wageningen, Netherlands. Accessed 18 December 2024.

• See the Prota4U database.