The sensitive plant, Mimosa Pudica, is a medicinal plant sometimes used in types of alternative medicine — medical practices that are not considered modern to western civilization. In this alternative type of medicine, the plant has several medical uses that include treatment for gynecological disorders, skin problems, impotence, and bronchitis. It is also used to treat epilepsy and is prized as an aphrodisiac.
Unani and Ayurvedic medicine are two types of medicine where the plant is sometimes used. Ayurveda, which translates as the "science of life," is a traditional type of medicine practiced in India. Unani medicine is an ancient form of Greek medicine that was adopted into the Muslim world more than 1,300 years ago. The word Unani is actually the Arabic spelling of the word Ionian, which means "Greek."
In Ayurvedic medicine, the root of the plant is thought of as acrid and cooling. It is used for the treatment of blood diseases, dysentery, burning sensations, and inflammation. Generally, it has similar properties in Unai medicine where it is also used to treat blood impurities, leprosy, and jaundice. All parts of the plant, including roots, leaves, and flowers, are used in these two types of traditional medicine.
The sensitive plant is an evergreen shrub that grows to a height of 5 feet (about 1.52 m) tall with a 3 foot (about 0.91 m) spread. It is actually a perennial plant, but because of its short lifespan, it usually is considered an annual. It has green, feathery leaves that grow many as 10 to 20 leaflets per stem and produce globe-shaped purplish-pink flowers that bloom from September to March in Indian conditions. It prefers fertile well-drained soil and full sunlight.
Sometimes known as sleeping grass, bashful mimosa, touch-me-not, or the humble plant, the sensitive plant is actually native to Brazil, but it is invasive there and is often considered a weed. It is also found in many parts of tropical America and India. It was once so common in the United States (US) that seeds of the mimosa pudica were planted by Thomas Jefferson in 1811.
Although it is known by several names, it is often called the sensitive plant because of its ticklish-like nature that happens whenever its leaves are touched. When its feels a touch or even heat from a flame, this bashful plant closes and droops its leaves. After the plant is left alone, however, the leaves will reopen again a few minutes later. This oddity makes it a popular ornamental plant in the US, and there are more than 400 known species of US origin.
