Mimosa pudica L.

• Authority

  Isley, Duane. 1973. Leguminosae of the United States: I. Subfamily. Mimosoideae. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 25 (1): 1-152.

• Family

  Mimosaceae

• Scientific Name

  Mimosa pudica L.

• Description

  Species Description - Lightly to strongly armed, procumbent, pubescent or suffrutescent herb. Leaves sensitive; pinnae (l-)2 pairs, contiguous at end of petiole; leaflets 10-25 pairs, oblong. Prickles flattened, tapering, recurved, often paired at nodes, weakly developed on small plants. Flowers in axillary or terminally racemed, pinkish, capitate to ovoid heads; peduncles shorter than petioles. Corolla lobes and stamens four. Legume oblong, 1.8-1.3 cm long, 3 mm wide, prickly margined, ultimately separating into segments.

• Discussion

  CN 2n = 52 (Tjio, 1948; Shibata, 1962). The only U.S. material of Mimosa pudica seen is from cultivation. It is reported by Small (1933) from “Waste ground . . . Fla. to Tex.” and taken up by Cory and Parks (1937), but there are no confirming specimens at NY or TEX. Mimosa pudica, originally of the New World, is now a world wide weedy inhabitant of the tropics. The tame little potted sensitive plants of the greenhouse or home are but feeble examples of an aggressive, long-trailing, sometimes highly armed species.

• Distribution

  Cultivated as home, greenhouse and experimental novelty, possibly established in s U.S. Sensitive plant. Native of American tropics.