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J blue

My favorite wildflower is flowering now. 🥰

Impatiens capensis, jewelweed aka “touch me not” (the seed pods explode if you touch them)

@plants@a.gup.pe

@plants@a.gup.pe this is a video of the seed pod exploding. You’re welcome ☺️

@jblue @plants Wait, is that “explode” as in scatter or “explode” as in “OMG my hand!”

@Cozy @plants@a.gup.pe it feels like a bug is jumping in you hand, kind of exploding. I’m trying to upload a video of it, just a sec. (It’ll be the comments here.)

@Cozy @jblue @plants I'd say 'explode' as in 'sploing' and 'no idea where that all flew'

@jblue Apparently, the juice is also supposed to be good for treating bug bites, poison ivy, and nettle stings. That's what I've heard from people at least.

Also, they way they shimmer like silver underwater is amazing.

@delve one of my friends tried it for poison ivy and it didn’t work on them but that might just be them. They are hugely allergic.

@jblue Yeah, I read from someone that it worked for their poison ivy. Poison ivy seems to be different for everyone, so it's no surprise that jewelweed wouldn't treat it for everyone.

@delve @jblue It’s good for bug bites and minor itches. Poison ivy is too much for it. (Source: down by the creek.)

@jblue @plants It’s mechanically like a catapult. “Dehiscence took 4.2+/-0.4 ms (mean +/-SEM, n=13). The estimated efficiency with which energy was transferred to the seeds was low (0.51+/-0.26%, mean +/-SEM, n=13). The mean seed launch angle (17.4+/-5.2, mean +/-SEM, n=45) fell within the range predicted by a ballistic model to maximize dispersal distance.”

The mechanics of explosive seed dispersal in orange jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) (Hayashi et al, 2009)

@Cozy @plants@a.gup.pe smol but fierce 🥹

@jblue @plants there's super delicious little robin's egg blue seeds in there too 👀

@jblue @plants

I used to LOVE squeezing those seed pods as a kid. So satisfying! Like opening a can of refrigerator biscuits but without the abject terror part.

@Carolee @plants@a.gup.pe I’m afraid to ask… refrigerator biscuits… abject terror? What’s in those biscuits?

@jblue @plants

These things. They pop with similar velocity but a loud sudden sound, too.

@Carolee so many great memories of those as a kid. We got the green Hungry Jack brand usually 🤤