Accession Data:
Mimosa pudica L.
- Common Name: Sensitive Plant
- Family: Fabaceae Juss.
- Country of Origin: widespread in central & south America, naturalized elsewhere
- Description: Native to tropical America, this short-lived evergreen subshrub is usually treated as an annual. It is grown for its curiosity value - the fern-like leaves close up and droop when touched, usually re-opening within minutes which is called thigmonasty. It also exhibits nyctinastic movement, like many legumes, in that its leaves also close up at night.
It has prickly stems and small, fluffy, ball-shaped pink flowers in summer. It grows to a height and spread of around 3 ft (1 m). In many areas this plant is becoming a noxious weed.
- Uses: Medicinal Properties include: Antibiotic, antimicrobial, anti-neurasthenic, antispasmodic, diuretic, tonic">nervine, poison, sedative, anti-depressant, aphrodisiac
In Ayurveda, this plant traditionally aids agitated Pitta and Kapha. Drinking a decoction of this plant can lower fertility, lower uterine bleeding, and increase blood sugar.
A paste of the plant can be used in many skin ailments: fungus, cuts, wounds, ulcers. In the reproductive system, the paste can reduce vaginal swelling and burning. It also lessens the load of menstrual bleeding by altering the estrous hormone cycle. As such, in men, it may also improve sexual impotency.
Treats stomach ache, oral hygiene, glandular swelling, indigestion, diabetes, and asthma.
- IMPORTANT NOTE: Plant Uses are for informational purposes only. EEB Greenhouses assume no responsibility for adverse effects from the use of any plants referred to on this site. Always seek advice from a professional before using any plant medicinally.
- Culture: These frost-tender plants prefer full sun and moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Water well during the growing period, sparingly in winter. Propagate from seed although summer cuttings are also practical. For best germination rates treat seeds with a hot water bath prior to sowing.
- USDA Zone: 9b-11a
Accession Data:
- Accession # 198500736
- Source: Smith Coll
- Accession Date: 12-31-1985
- Bench: 3310 - NEOB: StarSteel 3x12
- Currently: active - healthy
- Qty: 8 confirmed on 02-17-2025
- Restrictions:
Classification:
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- SubClass: eurosid I
- Order: Fabales
- SubOrder:
- Family: Fabaceae
- SubFamily: Mimosoideae
- Tribe: Mimoseae
- SubTribe:
Flowering Data:
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References (internal):
- EEB 3271 - Systematic Botany
- EEB 3203 - Developmental Plant Morphology
- Plants used in EEB 2244 - General Ecology
- Thigmonasty
- Medicinal Plants
- Medicinal Plants - Ayurveda Medicine
- Medicinal Plants - Immune System
- Medicinal Plants - Nervous System
- Medicinal Plants - Reproductive System
- Medicinal Plants - Integumentary System
- Medicinal Plants - Digestive System
- Medicinal Plants - Respiratory System
- Medicinal Plants - Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Scavenger Hunt - Grades 9-12 (generic)
- ECE 2019 - Scavenger Hunt
- Accessions with Embedded Video Files
- Scavenger Hunt - Grades 9-12
- EEB Greenhouse Holdings native to: Mexico Central / Mexico Northeast / Mexico Gulf / Mexican Pacific Is. / Mexico Northwest / Mexico Southwest / Mexico Southeast / Belize / Costa Rica / El Salvador / Guatemala / Honduras / Nicaragua / Panama / Bahamas / Cuba / Jamaica / Leeward Is. / Netherlands Antilles / Puerto Rico / Trinidad-Tobago / Windward Is. / French Guiana / Guyana / Suriname / Bolivia / Colombia / Ecuador / Peru / Brazil West-Central / Brazil Northeast / Brazil Southeast / Brazil North / Brazil South
References (external):
- Botanica, Turner & Wasson, 1997, CD-ROM Version
- The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Thursday, September 07, 2017.
- Mimosa pudica at ARS-GRIN. Last accessed on Monday, October 02, 2017.
- Mimosa pudica at IUCN Redlist. Last accessed on Monday, October 02, 2017.
- Thigmonasty at Wikipedia. Last accessed on Monday, October 02, 2017.
- Mimosa pudica L. (Laajvanti): An overview H. Ahmad, S. Sehgal, A. Mishra, and R. Gupta. Pharmacogn Rev. 2012 Jul-Dec; 6(12): 115–124. Last accessed on Thursday, March 29, 2018.
data regenerated on Wed, 19 Feb 2025 14:21:24 -0500 [bcm v4.0]
Images:
Additional images for this accession:
Click on thumbnails to enlarge
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W/C = Wild Collected
= indicates flowering in past 14 days
= images available for this accession
= map available for this accession
= accession added within past 90 days