Morphological characters are the same as those of the family, except: lateral petals always united in pairs into lateral, united petals; fruit a fleshy, explosive capsule; seeds often dispersed elastically from valves when ripe.

Source: [
• 7
]. 

IMPATIENS L.

Hierbas erectas con tallos suculentos y algo ramificados. Hojas por lo general angostamente elípticas a ovadas, glabras, ceráceas en la haz. Flores anaranjadas, rojas, rosadas o moradas; sépalos 3, el anterior cimbiforme y extendido en un largo espolón tubular, los laterales laminares, linear-lanceolados; pétalos 3, el superior cordado, los laterales profundamente lobados; estambres 5, connados o conniventes cerca de las anteras formando una caperuza ajustada alrededor del ovario, la cual es decidua antes de que el estigma sea receptivo; óvulos numerosos. Fruto una cápsula típicamente 5-valvada.

Un género con ca 850 especies, casi cosmopolita, tanto en zonas templadas como tropicales debido en parte a su popularidad como planta ornamental, ausente en Sudamérica, Australia y Nueva Zelandia; las 2 especies naturalizadas en América tropical y subtropical se encuentran en Nicaragua.

C. Grey-Wilson. Impatiens of Africa. 1980.

Source: [
• 8
]. 

Annuals in our species; stems glabrous. Leaves serrate to crenate-denticulate, petiolate. Inflorescences axillary. Flowers pedicellate; sepals 3; the lateral petals connate in pairs. Fruit an elastically dehiscent, glabrous or pubescent capsule.

Source: [
• 9
]. 

"Sep in ours 3, the 2 upper (as the fl hangs on the pedicel) small, the lower one saccate, open in front, spurred at the closed end of the sac; pet apparently 3, the upper one often broader than long, each of the 2 lateral ones lobed in our spp. and regarded as 2 pet united; fr dehiscing elastically into 5 valves. 450, widespread but mainly trop. Asia and Afr."

Source: [
• 10
]. 

Annual or perennial herbs, sometimes shrubby; stems usually succulent, rarely woody, glabrous or pilose.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Leaves verticillate or opposite or spirally arranged.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Inflorescences axillary and or of terminal simple racemes or pseudumbels or fascicles, or the flowers solitary.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Flowers sometimes cleistogamous (rarely both cleistogamous and normal ones in the same inflorescence), pedicellate.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Sepals, petals and sexual organs as for the family.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Fruit glabrous or pilose or sometimes tomentose.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Seeds smooth or tuberculate or rugose, glabrous or pilose.

Source: [
• 6
]. 

Plantes'annuelles ou vivaces, à tiges souvent succulentes.'Feuilles'alternes, opposées ou verticillées.'Inflorescences'axillaires, en fascicules, ombelles, pseudo-ombelles ou racèmes, ou fleurs axillaires solitaires.'Fleurs'pédicellées; sépales 3(5), dont 2(4) latéraux et 1 postérieur de forme variable et généralement terminé par un éperon; pétales 5 dont 4 ± concrescents ou soudés et 1 libre; ovules superposés.'Capsules'déhiscentes élastiquement en 5 valves projetant les graines en s'enroulant.'Graines glabres ou pubescentes.\n\t\t\t\tGenre comprenant ± 500 espèces; au Congo belge, 35 espèces et 4 variétés.

Source: [
• 11
]. 

Widely distributed in the Old World tropics with only a few species in the more temperate regions of the New World.

Source: [
• 9
].