Jewelweed is a herbaceous plant that grows 0.9–1.5 m (3–5 ft) tall. It often branches extensively. The round stems are glabrous (smooth) and succulent, and semi-translucent, with swollen or darkened nodes on some plants. The leaves, which measure up to 13 cm (5 in) long and 6 cm (2+1⁄2 in) across, are alternate on the upper stems and opposite on the lower stems (when present). The leaves are ovate to elliptic, simple, and have shallow, rounded teeth on the margins. The seed pods have five valves which coil back rapidly to eject the seeds in a process called explosive dehiscence or ballistochory. This reaction is where the name 'touch-me-not' comes from; in mature seed pods, dehiscence can easily be triggered with a light touch. The plant blooms from late spring to early fall. The flowers are 2–3 cm (3⁄4–1+1⁄4 in) long, orange (sometimes blood orange or rarely yellow) with a three-lobed corolla; one of the calyx lobes is colored similarly to the corolla and forms a hooked conical spur at the back of the flower. Plants may also produce non-showy cleistogamous flowers, which do not require cross-pollination. Nectar spurs are tubular elongations of petals and sepals of certain flowers that usually contain nectar. Flowers of I. capensis have these nectar spurs. Nectar spurs are thought to have played a role in plant-pollinator coevolution. Curvature angles of nectar spurs of I. capensis are variable. This angle varies from 0 degrees to 270 degrees. The angle of the nectar spur is very important in the pollination of the flower and in determining the most efficient pollinator. Hummingbirds are major pollinators. They remove more pollen per visit from flowers with curved nectar spurs than with perpendicular nectar spurs. But hummingbirds are not the only pollinators of I. capensis. Bees, especially bumblebees play an important role in pollination as well. Due to hummingbirds and bees, the pollination of I. capensis is very high.
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