In Ethiopia women chop or mash the inside of the tubers of Impatiens tinctoria (‘ensolella’) into a paste to dye the palms and nails of the hands and feet a dark reddish colour. It is considered a beauty treatment similar to that of henna and it helps to control fungal infections and it toughens the skin. The tubers are also used to dye cloth. The juice of pounded roots is one of the ingredients for a red ink. Medicinally, a root decoction is drunk against abdominal pains and as a purgative. The stem is chewed to treat mouth and throat diseases. Horses and mules graze the plant. Impatiens tinctoria is cultivated for its striking flowers as an indoor and outdoor ornamental in tropical and temperate regions.
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