Impatiens

[Impatiens psuedoviola and Impatiens kilimanjaro]

There are close to 1000 species of plants belonging to the genus Impatiens (aka "touch me nots," since the mature seed pods explode when touched sending seeds meters away). Two of these can be seen on the rainforest slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, Impatiens psuedoviola and Impatiens kilimanjaro. The latter is unique only to the slopes of Kilimanjaro itself. Shaped like a small tuba less than 0.5 inches in length, the yellow and scarlet flowers line the lengths of the trail and form a striking contrast to the earthy green vegetation that otherwise dominate the landscape of this mountain zone.