Mimosa pudica 

Mimosa pudica L.

Family     :Fabaceae/leguminosae 

Common Name : തോട്ടാൽവാടി(Mal)

छुई-मुई(Hin)

                                 Touch-me-not (Eng)

     IUCN status          :  Least concern (LC) -

Touch Me Not is a wonderful and curious plant which is found growing wild throughout the tropical world. It native origin is unclear, but is believed to have originated in tropical America. Its fern-like leaves close up and droop when touched, usually re-opening within minutes. It has prickly stems and small, fluffy, ball shaped pink flowers in summer. It grows to a height of 50 cm with a spread of 30 cm. In some areas this plant is becoming a noxious weed. The stem is erect, slender and branching. The leaves are bipinnate, fern like and pale green- closing when disturbed. Stalked pale pink or purple flower-heads arise from the leaf axils.

Diffuse herbs; stem terete, with reflexed bristles and scattered, curved prickles. Leaves alternate to 12 cm long, pinnae 2 pairs; leaflets ca 20 pairs, oblong, 3-7 x 0.75-1 mm, overlapping, apex acute-mucronate, base oblique-truncate; rachis, tomentose; stipules lanceolate, 5-10 mm, bristly. Heads solitary or binate, axillary, globose, ca. 1-1.5 cm across; peduncle to 2 cm long, hairy; bracts linear. Flowers numerous, pink. Calyx minute. Corolla campanulate; lobes pubescent outside. Stamens 4, exserted. Fruit a lomentum flat, margin with recurved prickles; seeds 3-5, subrhombic.