What is Balsam?

About Balsam:

• It is locally called as Kasithumba and Onappovu.
• It is known as ‘touch-me-not’ because of the bursting of mature seeds and seed distribution.
• They are commonly known by different names including balsams, touch me not, jewel weed etc.
• Distribution
  • It is distributed in the tropical, sub-tropical and northern temperate regions of the world.
  • It is found mainly in India, China and Africa and some parts of Europe and North America.
  • India is home to 220 balsam species in which 135 are found in the southern Western Ghats.
• Anamudi, the highest mountain in the Western Ghats, and the surrounding high ranges are known for the diversity of wild balsams.
• The normal lifecycle of balsams is from June to December.
• The plant mainly grows inside pockets of forest areas.
• This fleshy orophytic herb usually prefers humid habitats and completes the lifecycle in the rainy season
• It is a major indicator species of climate change.