balsam in a

[Lat. balsam in us; Gr. βαλσάμινος (balsa minos) of balsam.] A genus of plants, in which some include the Garden Balsam, which is called by them Balsam in a hortensis, but is more appropriately designated by the name Linnæus gave it, Impatiens bal samina. băl-sam-in-ā ́-çě-se ( Lindley ), băl-sam in'-e-88 ( Ach. Richard ) (Latin), bâl-samş (Eng.), s. pl. [BALSAM IN A.] Botany: An order of plants placed under the Geranial Alliance. The flowers are very irregular. The sepals and petals are both coloured; the former are properly five in number, but generally by abortion three, one of them spurred; the latter five, reduced to two lateral ones, each really of two combined, and a large broad concave one. Stamens five, uncombined. Fruit generally a five-celled capsule, with one or more suspended seeds. No involucre. The large genus Impatiens is the type of the order, which in 1846 contained 110 described species, chiefly from the East Indies. [BALSAM IN A, IMPATIENS.] Some make the Balsaminacese only a sub-order of Geraniaceæ.