Native to tropical America, common
sensitive plant, (Mimosa pudica), also called humble plant, plant in the pea family (Fabaceae) that responds to touch and other stimulation by rapidly closing its leaves and drooping. Native to South and Central America, the plant is a widespread weed in tropical regions and has naturalized elsewhere in warm areas.
Is it Bad to Touch a Touch-Me-Not Plant? Although one of its common names is the touch-me-not plant, Mimosa pudica is not harmed when touched, and it will not harm you either. It earned this particular nickname because of its rapid response to touch.
Mimosa pudica goes by many names: The Sensitive Plant. The Shy Plant. Touch Me Not. The Tickle-Me Plant.
The 'touch me not' plant (Mimosa pudica) is well known for its rapid plant movement.
Your plants really dislike when you touch them, apparently. A new study out of the La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and Food has found that most plants are extremely sensitive to touch, and even a light touch can significantly stunt their growth, reports Phys.org.
Sensitive plants fold their leaves inward when touched, reducing the surface area exposed to potential predators (Jensen, Dill & Cahill, 2011).
Mimosa pudica is well known for its rapid plant movement. Like a number of other plant species, it undergoes changes in leaf orientation termed "sleep" or nyctinastic movement. The foliage closes during darkness and reopens in light.
It majorly possesses antibacterial, antivenom, antifertility, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, aphrodisiac, and various other pharmacological activities. The herb has been used traditionally for ages, in the treatment of urogenital disorders, piles, dysentery, sinus, and also applied on wounds.
Upon stimulation, like touching, the leaf cells lose potassium ions, triggering water to leave the cells through osmosis. It takes about 10 minutes for the cells to regain turgidity and the leaves to open out.
Shame old lady. The botanical name is Mimosa Pudica. A bit of trivia, I've never forgotten!
Touch-me-not plant helps as it has antibacterial, antivenom, antidepressant, aphrodisiac, anticonvulsant, anti-fertility and anti-asthmatic properties. It is known to have emetic, sedative and tonic properties. Landscape Use Makes excellent hedge or screening plant. It also does well as a pot plant.
Native to Brazil, the prayer plant (Maranta leuconeura) is one of around four dozen Maranta species that move in a unique way: By day, its leaves are flat and open, and at night, its leaves raise up, folding like praying hands. This nightly change is called nyctinasty or nyctinastic leaf movement.
Similar species
Mimosa pudica is similar to Mimosa pigra (giant sensitive plant) and creeping sensitive plant (Mimosa diplotricha var. diplotricha), which both also produce pink globular flower clusters and have prickles.
Leaves can move in response to light
Sleep movements include closing and/or bending of flowers, and folding of leaves. This short movie shows the light-dependent movement of leaves of an Oxalis plant (often sold in markets as a lucky shamrock plant).
The titan arum is a flowering plant, native to Indonesia's island of Sumatra. The plant's full bloom only once every seven to ten years. This rare event only lasts 24 to 36 hours.
Impatiens 'Infinity White' is a vigorous, mounding perennial, usually grown as an annual, boasting masses of large, pure white flowers from late spring to the first frosts. Blooming freely all season, the blossoms contrast nicely against the foliage of long, deep green leaves.
Pitcher plants are several different carnivorous plants that have modified leaves known as pitfall traps—a prey-trapping mechanism featuring a deep cavity filled with digestive liquid. The traps of what are considered to be "true" pitcher plants are formed by specialized leaves.
When a plant is saturated, it needs to release the excess moisture, and it does it by transpiration through its leaves. Leaves drip when they have as much moisture as they can hold.
Touch-me-not, or Jewelweed, are common names for family of herbaceous plants (Balsaminaceae) of which Impatiens is the principal genus. The genus name derives from the fact that a ripe seed capsule, when touched, explodes violently, projecting seed some distance.
Due to its behavior, it's no surprise that the Mimosa Pudica has been nicknamed the “sensitive” plant or “shy” plant. It has pretty pink or purple fluffy-looking flowers, and leaves that are highly sensitive to touch. If disturbed in any way, the leaves automatically fold in on themselves.
They conducted all sorts of experiments with plants – playing music, talking to plants, vibrations, etc. But their findings were discredited. Now fast forward nearly 50 years, and it has never been scientifically proven that plants have feelings.
Sessile – or stalkless – plants evolved to be incredibly sensitive to their environment in order to survive. Research into their awareness has revealed the incredible ways plants sense their environment: from "hearing" their predators, "smelling" their neighbours1and even "mimicking" the shapes of their plant hosts.
While no one claims that plants “feel” emotions, as humans do, plants do show signs of “sensing” their surroundings. Now researchers are working to see what we can discover about the possibility that plants exhibit intelligence in their adaptations to their environment and changes within it.