touch-me-not

touch-me-not

(tŭch′mē-nŏt′)n.1. See jewelweed.2. See sensitive plant.

touch-me-not

n (Plants) any of several balsaminaceous plants of the genus Impatiens, esp I. noli-me-tangere, having yellow spurred flowers and seed pods that burst open at a touch when ripe. Also called: noli-me-tangere

jew•el•weed

(ˈdʒu əlˌwid)

n. any of several plants belonging to the genus Impatiens, of the balsam family, having yellow spurred flowers and a seedpod that bursts to the touch when ripe. [1810–20, Amer.]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.touch-me-not - North American annual plant with usually yellow or orange flowers; grows chiefly on wet rather acid soilcelandine, Impatiens capensis, jewelweed, lady's earrings, orange balsamherb, herbaceous plant - a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pestsgenus Impatiens - annual or perennial herbs with stems more or less succulent; cosmopolitan except for South America, Australia, and New Zealand

2.touch-me-not - Mediterranean vine having oblong fruit that when ripe expels its seeds and juice violently when touchedEcballium elaterium, exploding cucumber, squirting cucumbergourd vine, gourd - any vine of the family Cucurbitaceae that bears fruits with hard rindsEcballium, genus Ecballium - exploding cucumber; squirting cucumber

3.touch-me-not - prostrate or semi-erect subshrub of tropical America, and Australia; heavily armed with recurved thorns and having sensitive soft grey-green leaflets that fold and droop at night or when touched or cooledaction plant, humble plant, live-and-die, Mimosa pudica, sensitive plant, shame plantgenus Mimosa - genus of spiny woody shrubs or trees; named for their apparent imitation of animal sensitivity to light and heat and movementmimosa - any of various tropical shrubs or trees of the genus Mimosa having usually yellow flowers and compound leaves