Sleepy plant

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Sensitive Plant
• Shame Lady Shame
• Wild Tantan
• common sensitive-plant
• sensitive-plant
• sensitive-weed
• shameplant
• touch-me-not
• Action Plant
• Dormilones
• Sensitive weed
• Shy Plant
• Sleeping Grass
• Sleepy Grass
• Sleepy Plant
• Zombie Plant
• common sensitive plant

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Eburnax pudica

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Fabales, it is classified under the family Fabaceae and is identified by the genus Mimosa.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant, known as Mimosa pudica, exhibits a specific geographical presence across several regions in West Tropical Africa. Within this part of the continent, it can be found growing in the nation of Benin. The plant's distribution also extends to Burkina Faso and the Gambia. Furthermore, its range includes the territories of Ghana and Guinea. These specific locations highlight the plant's occurrence within the West Tropical African landscape.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Mimosa pudica is characterized by its ability to thrive across a vast altitudinal gradient, ranging from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to a maximum elevation of 1780 m AMSL, with a mean elevational range of approximately 1750 m AMSL. This species frequently establishes itself within forest habitats, where it can navigate various light and moisture conditions. Its broad distributional range across these elevations allows it to adapt to diverse climatic zones, from lowland tropical environments to higher-altitude montane regions.

Elevational range max:

1780 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

1750 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

forest

Life history

The life history of Mimosa pudica is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, though its individual growth cycles can exhibit variable longevity depending on environmental conditions and resource availability. Categorized by its life form as a therophyte, the plant primarily completes its seasonal development through seeds, allowing it to survive unfavorable conditions before germinating to re-establish its presence. This therophytic nature is consistent across its biological classification, marking it as a plant that relies on ephemeral growth patterns to navigate its ecological niche.

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Mimosa pudica is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and specifically a forb. This terrestrial plant, which functions as an independent organism rather than a parasite or epiphyte, exhibits a prostrate shoot orientation and is categorized as a self-supporting climber. In terms of stature, it displays significant variability in plant height, with measurements ranging from a minimum of 0 m to a maximum of 1.5 m, maintaining a mean height of approximately 0.45 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

1.5 m

Plant height mean:

0.45 m

Plant height min:

0 m

Shoot orientation :

prostrate

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Mimosa pudica is characterized by its specialized metabolic and morphological adaptations, most notably its use of the C3 photosynthetic pathway for carbon fixation. As a non-succulent plant, it relies on efficient water management and structural integrity rather than water-storing tissues. The leaves exhibit significant morphological variability, with dimensions ranging from a minimum length of 0.1 cm to a maximum length of 5.5 cm, and a width spanning from 0.1 cm to 0.3 cm. Furthermore, the plant plays a critical role in nutrient cycling within its ecosystem through its ability to function as a nitrogen fixer, utilizing symbiotic relationships to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form.

Leaf length max:

5.5 cm

Leaf length min:

0.1 cm

Leaf width max:

0.3 cm

Leaf width min:

0.1 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

yes

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproduction of Mimosa pudica is characterized by a flowering cycle that is highly variable, potentially occurring throughout nearly every month of the year, including January through December. The plant produces distinctive red flowers that facilitate the development of its fruit. The resulting fruit is a dry pod, which is dehiscent in nature, meaning it splits open to release its contents. These pods typically measure between 1 cm and 2 cm in length, with a width ranging from 0.3 cm to 0.5 cm. Within these pods, the seeds are produced with a mean mass of approximately 0.005346667 g, ranging from a minimum of 0.00462 g to a maximum of 0.00596 g. The seeds themselves are relatively small, with lengths between 2.5 mm and 3.5 mm and a consistent volume of 5.1 mm³. The dispersal of these seeds follows a zoochorous syndrome, relying on animals to aid in the spread of the species.

Dehiscence :

dehiscent

Dispersal syndrome :

zoochorous

Flower colour :

red

Flowering time :

Dec

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit length max:

2 cm

Fruit length min:

1 cm

Fruit type :

pod

Fruit width max:

0.5 cm

Fruit width min:

0.3 cm

Seed length max:

3.5 mm

Seed length min:

2.5 mm

Seed mass max:

0.00596 g

Seed mass mean:

0.005346667 g

Seed mass min:

0.00462 g

Seed volume max:

5.1 mm³

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Mimosa pudica has 2 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include flower, root.

Flower

1. Heliyon

Root

1. Contraception

Chemicals

Mimosa pudica has 41 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Mimosine, Tannins, 3-DIBENZOFURANAMINE, Ash.

Flavonoids

1. Heliyon
2. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety

Mimosine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety

Tannins

1. Heliyon
2. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety

3-DIBENZOFURANAMINE

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Ash

1. Dr. Duke

CALCIUM

1. Dr. Duke

CU

1. Environmental science and pollution research international

Crocetin

1. Dr. Duke

D-glucuronic acid

1. Dr. Duke

D-xylose

1. Dr. Duke

Activities

Mimosa pudica has 255 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antidepressant, Antidiabetic, Antioxidant.

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences

Antidepressant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety

Anxiolytic

1. Dr. Duke
2. ACS omega

Aphrodisiac

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Diuretic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety

Hypoglycemic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety

Conditions

Mimosa pudica has 21 reported investigations on conditions identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include anxiety, antidiabetic, cancer, depression, diabetes mellitus.

Anxiety

1. Heliyon
2. ACS omega
3. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM

Antidiabetic

1. Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences
2. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Cancer

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
2. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety

Depression

1. Heliyon
2. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology

Diabetes mellitus

1. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Insomnia

1. ACS omega
2. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM

Vibrio cholerae

1. Journal of diarrhoeal diseases research

Aphrodisiac

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Cough

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Epilepsy

1. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM

Preparations

Mimosa pudica has 7 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include MECS hard capsules, Mimosa pudica-mediated strontium nanoparticles, Plant extract, ethanolic extracts, extracts.

Mecs hard capsules

1. ACS omega

Mimosa pudica-mediated strontium nanoparticles

1. Journal of pharmacy & bioallied sciences

Plant extract

1. Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine

Ethanolic extracts

1. Letters in applied microbiology

Extracts

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Methanolic extract

1. Heliyon

Root extract

1. Contraception