Garden Balsam
Description and Rationale
Garden Balsam – a natural source for fingernails
Kamantigue – Tagalog Name
Garden Balsam is broadly found in the Philippines. It is a native plant in countries like China and India (plantoftheweek). It usually grows in hot and wet places like the Philippines. It grows anywhere in a short period of time. This plant is easily found in the Philippines and has no problem with adaptation.
What is Garden Balsam used for? Is it edible? Is the plant too short that many people do not recognize it? Can it be used for dyeing fingernails for beauty? How does it affect the fingernails? Does it have any nutrients or vitamins that will help with the growth of fingernails? Can it be used by anyone without causing problems? Is there any way this plant can be used by a lot of people easily? How long does it take to dye the fingernails? Is there any specific way to help the Filipinos? Can this help them earn more money?
How can Garden Balsam be used for cosmetics to the people? Garden Balsam is a plant that can be used as a dyer for fingernails, for it makes it look pretty and it is good for nails more than using nail polish. It is natural and gives it off natural nutrition. Since Filipinos women like to decorate themselves like other women but have no money they can easily use this without any payment. This will not harm the nails like the nail polish does. It will not poison the environments too. This can show that we can create beauty with nature rather than things that are artificially made.
The initial purpose of this project will be to research the biology of Garden Balsam through a search of the literature as well as firsthand observations. I will be interviewing with people who haven’t tried dyeing their fingernails with this before and people who know a lot about using this for dyeing. These initial findings will help guide the experimental phase, where key variables in Garden Balsam’s usage and helpfulness will be furthered explored.
It is hoped that new uses of the unfamiliar plant, Garden Balsam, which also grows very fast that can help the Filipinos with enjoyable daily lives through a more informed understanding of an abundant biological resource.
main table of contents...
Biology
Common Names and Synonyms
Garden Balsam is also called Impatiens Balsamina. It is known as Kamantigue in the Philippines. Other names include Lady’s slippers, Beijode Frade, Fren Jsien, hosen-ka, Ji Xing Zi, Kina Cigegi, Snapweed, Spotted Snapweed, Pop Weed, Bang seed of Touch Me Not's.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae (Plant)
Phylum: Magnoliophyta (angiosperms)
Class: Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons)
Order: Ericales (dicotyledons)
Family: Balsaminacaea (balsam family)
Genus: Impatiens
Species: balsasmina (garden balsam or rose balsam)
main table of contents..
Morphology and Physical Description
External Anatomy
Balsamina plant can reach up to a maximum of three feet in height. The measurement around the stem reaches up to one inch. The colors of this flower can be white, pink, purple, or deep burgundy red. The leaves are green and the length is about 2.5 ~ 9.0 cm long and 1.0 ~ 2.5 cm wide and has a toothed margin. The flowers have three or five petals for each plant. There is an outer floral whorl, which the petals are spurred; and the inner floral whorl, which is similar to showy petal. The seed pods are big and round and contain more than ten seeds in each pod. The seed’s color is light green when it is not mature but it becomes red as the seed matures. Additionally, the flowers bloom continuously throughout the year.
Internal Anatomy
The seed pods of this plant are very interesting. The seed pod pops by itself when it becomes mature. The red seeds are spread beside the plant and the seeds produce a new plant in a short amount of time. The anthers are fused together to form a cap over the ovary.
main table of contents...
Getting Food
Garden Balsam requires massive amount of sunlight to grow. Balsams also need a lot of moist soils; as long as the soils are moist, watering the plant is unnecessary. The fertilizers are not very important for this plant because the plant does not get infected by bugs so it is easier and convenient to grow than other plants. A development of this plant succeeds in any good moist soil and needs warm conditions. It also grows well in shades and sunlight. Since, garden balsam is very easy to cultivate, many countries import garden balsam and plant them in their lands. Some countries plant balsamina in greenhouses. Balsaminas in greenhouse are planted moist soils and the gardener water them frequently. They keep in a temperature that is no lower than 13℃, then the flowers bloom even in winter.
main table of contents...
Reproduction
Impatiens balsamina reproduces sexually by producing seeds. Also, the anthers and the ovaries help reproduce seeds. They are easily pollinated by butterflies, bees, and nectar- feeding birds. When the seed pods are mature, they burst by themselves. New plant are grown, areas where the seeds are spread, and this life cycle continues. The plant grows from the germinal disk of a seed and develops as tall plant.
main table of contents...
Environmental Factors
Balsamina can grow in any lands where moist soil exists; though mostly in waste places and outskirts of villages. Garden Balsam usually grow better if the plants are far away from each other, because there is a disease that makes the leaf turn white. The roots are more widely spread and the stems are stronger if they are far apart too. The plant usually grows better in places where it gets more sunlight. It is better to avoid planting near big trees since the leaves will dry and can be a disease-causing agent for plants when it is planted beside a big tree. This disease is also caused by the cool and wet environment. This can also be harmful for humans. Many people are concerned about the regular ingestion of these plants because it can be dangerous with their mineral content.
main table of contents...
Origin and Distribution
Impatiens balsamina are originally from China, India and Southeast Asia which includes the Philippines. So they also adapt to the Philippine weather very well. Balsamina grows in spring and summer, usually in tropical countries. These days garden balsam is around Hawaii, and some areas in North America.
main table of contents...
Importance to People
Many people do not know that this plant is used as a medicine, which is used to cure diseases and skin afflictions. The juice from this plant could also heal warts and snake bites. Balsamina is not only used for medicine, but it is also used as foods. The fresh leaves and stems are edible if it is cooked. The plant can be harmful if it is eaten raw but it is fine to eat after it is cooked. Especially, people with a tendency of rheumatism, arthritis, gout, and hyperacidity should be careful from eating this plant. The seeds also give an effect that softens many things. This seed can be used when a fish bone is caught in your throat: you will have to make the seed into powder then mix it with water and drink it. Then the bone in the throat will melt and disappear. The seeds of white balsam can also be used to cook foods. When you insert the seeds while cooking meats, the meats will be softened and easier to chew. Furthermore, when women give birth to a baby, the seeds can help the hip bones to get flexible. When a thorn gets stuck in your skin, the seed powders can be also used as a treatment. Effects can be better if the seeds are kept in an alcohol before using it as a medicine. When a kidney stone appears inside the body, the alcohol that contained the balsam flower and seeds for several days can treat the kidney stone. The pain will be gone soon and in about ten to twenty days, the kidney stone will melt and materialize as urine. ‘The alcoholic extract of flowers posses some antibiotic activity against some fungi and bacteria.’ The seed expectorants are also used as a treatment for cancers. The flower of this plant can also be used for dyeing, mostly for fingernails. The nails are just small parts of your bodies but it is very important to take care of them well. If the nails are dyed by the flowers of garden balsam it will not harm the nails in anyways instead it can make it become healthier. The substances included in the flower will keep the nails moist. But mostly this will not cost you any money.
main table of contents...
Survivability and Endangered Status
Since balsamina is very unfamiliar to many people, majority refuse to plant balsamina plants. Although the plants are not planted, the plant itself will spread seeds fast and grow. Due to its strong survivability, balsamina plants are not in danger of being extinct. However, despite the fact that the Philippines have a favorable condition for the plant's growth, the country does not use its advantage to grow these plants. If balsamina is cultivated and produced in the Philippines, then it would make many profits such as providing more workplace to local people as well as in ways of treatment.
main table of contents...
Potential Solutions
Can Garden Balsam actually be helpful to the Filipinos? Philippine is a blessed country that contains many helpful and useful plants including Garden Balsam. This plant grows very well in the Philippines. But the problem is that the people here do not know how this plant is used. If people actually knew something about this plant it could be a benefit for them. This small and easy growing plant can help a lot of people with their lives. Below are three possibilities that can be used by the people, including a short explanation of how it would work and an analysis for advantages and disadvantages for each of them.
Possibility 1 -DYEING NAILS
Some countries in Southeast Asia already used this idea of dyeing their nails with Balsam’s flowers and leaves. In Korea and China, every summer when the flowers are shown the family members all gather around to dye fingernails for each other. It not only saves money and also turns out to be a beautiful color.
Advantages:
1. It is free to dye the fingernails and toenails. The flowers and leaves can be taken off the plant and it will not need any money doing this. Even the tools, for example a stone, needed for this action can easily be found.
2. Since the color is naturally made it is healthier than using nail polish. Nail polish contains a pigment that can harm the nails. If the nails are dyed by the flowers and leaves naturally you will not need to worry about damaging your nails.
Disadvantages:
1. People who have flower allergies will not be able to dye their nails with this plant.
2. There will be only one color, orange. People can control the darkness of the color by adding cooked rice or by the length they keep the ground flowers on their nails.
3. Unlike nail polish, it is hard to erase the dyed nails. Since it is naturally dyed it also needs to be naturally erased. When you get tired of it you will not be able to erase it but wait until it gets erased by itself.
main table of contents...
Possibility 2 -MEDICINE
Garden Balsam is famous for being used for dyeing nails, so the fact that this can be used as a medicine, is unfamiliar to many people.
Advantages:
1. There are many people around in the Philippines who have warts on their body. The juices of the leaves and stems can be actually used to cure warts and snake bites.
2. Many poor people eat fish as their food. The fishes are cheap and delicious. But while eating fish, the bone can get stuck in their throats. The seed of garden balsam is made as a powder and mixed with water it can actually soften the bone in the throat and cause it to disappear.
Disadvantages:
1. Since many people do not know about this plant they may be afraid to use a kind new medicine that is not well known in public.
2. It is hard to gather a large amount of seeds all at once. It is hard to collect seeds since the seed pods pop by itself and spreads all over the ground
main table of contents...
Possibility 3 -FOOD
Many people do not know that the leaves are edible when cooked. Balsam leaves do not contain any harmful substances but contains a lot of minerals and vitamins. It is also considered as the same as other green vegetables.
Advantages:
1. Many poor people have a small amount of vitamins in their bodies. Vegetables like the Balsam leaves will help them with vitamins.
2. These days it is hard to grow many vegetables because of the weather conditions. So the prices of vegetables increase. But these leaves are free if it is planted in the garden.
Disadvantages:
1. The leaves are only edible if it is cooked. There are not many ways that can be cooked. Also the poor people here do not have enough money for the gas. So they would have to use coals for fire. But it will take them a long time do to it.
2. I tried eating this after I boiled it in the hot water. But it did not taste like anything and did not really satisfy my hunger.
main table of contents...
Bibliography
"Balsam (plant) - MSN Encarta." MSN Encarta : Online Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Atlas, and Homework. April & may 2009 <http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761577021/Balsam_(plant).html>.
"Balsam (plant) - MSN Encarta." MSN Encarta : Online Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Atlas, and Homework. April & may 2009 <http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761577021/Balsam_(plant).html>.
"Balsam plant and seed varieties from rich farm garden." Rich Farm Garden Supply. April & may 2009 <http://www.richfarmgarden.com/balsam.html>.
"Directopedia : Directory : Science : Biology : Flora and Fauna : Plantae : Magnoliophyta : Magnoliopsida : Balsaminaceae : Impatiens." World of Web and Knowledge - directopedia.org. April & may 2009 <http://www.directopedia.org/directory/Science-Biology/Flora_Fauna-Plantae-Magnoliophyta-Magnoliopsida-Balsaminaceae-Impatiens.shtml>.
"Garden balsam - Impatiens balsamina." LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE | About-garden.com. April & may 2009 <http://www.about-garden.com/e/en/1020-garden-balsam-impatiens-balsamina/>.
"Impatiens balsamina -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. April & may 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impatiens_balsamina>.
"Impatiens balsamina: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article." AbsoluteAstronomy.com. April & may 2009 <http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Impatiens_balsamina>.
"Impatiens balsamina." Ibiblio in space. April & may 2009 <http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Impatiens+balsamina>.
"Impatiens balsamina (PIER species info)." Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR). April & may 2009 <http://www.hear.org/Pier/species/impatiens_balsamina.htm>.
"Kamantigi / Impatiens balsamina : Philippine Medicinal Herbs / Philippine Alternative Medicine." StuartXchange - SX - Godofredo Umali Stuart's Cyber Warehouse. April & may 2009 <http://www.stuartxchange.com/Kamantigi.html>.
Naver. April & may 2009 http://kin.naver.com/detail/detail.php?d1id=7&dir_id=7&eid=tEnntZxoMbUG1nZmjkErldq+DUahj0jE&qb=67SJ7Iit7JWEIOyVveycvOuhnCDrqLnquLA=&enc=utf8&pid=fQ7xqloi5TlssZt7iLKsss--065931&sid=SfLwAHHR8kkAAD6fiN0.
"
main table of contents...
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.