Purple Kamantigue

Kamantigue, Impatiens balsamina, Balsam

Clusters of purple Kamantigue after the rain.

Impatiens is a genus of about 850-1,000 species of flowering plants of the Balsaminaceae family; a native of India and now cultivated in all warm countries.  It is propagated through seeds.  Roots, stems, flowers and seeds are used in folk medicine.

• In the Philippines, pounded leaves used as poultice to dissolve whitlow
• In Malaysia, leaves used for poulticing broken and torn nails
• In China, powdered seeds are prescribed for difficult labor
• Flowers used for snake bites, lumbago and intercostal neuralgia
• For contusion, painful inflammation, joint paints, carbuncles, dysmenorrhea: use dried flowers, or boil the entire plant and drink
• Seed is an expectorant, used for cancer treatments
• For external use on any bruise or painful area, crush fresh plant and poultice the affected parts of the body
• Leaf juice used for treatment of warts
• Root and leaves used for various foreign bodies---coins or other metals inadvertently swallowed, as well as thorns or fish splinters
• In the US, the most common use of jewelweed is to treat poison ivy rashes

Our bodies are our gardens---our wills are our gardeners. ~ William Shakespeare

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