About Mimosa

Alias Bashfulgrass, Sensitiveplant

English name Bashfulgrass, Sensitiveplant

Family: Leguminosae, Mimosaceae

Differences in classification systems make it Mimosaceae, Mimosaceae

Flower: Shyness

Introduction:

If you touch the feathery, slender leaves, they immediately close. >Floral language Shyness

Introduction:

If you touch the feathery, slender leaves, the leaves immediately close, hence the name Mimosa. The flowers are pink in color and the inflorescences are spherical and light. The gentle, sweet flower shape creates an air of romance.

The leaves of this plant will immediately close and droop when lightly touched, even when a gust of wind blows, just like a shy girl. Therefore, the language of the flower is - shyness. People born under the blessing of this flower have a very shy and timid personality, and are afraid of life. Feelings are particularly sharp, and self-esteem is also strong. However, if you are with someone who understands you, you will be much more relaxed and comfortable, make friends with quality rather than quantity, and like the feelings of a long-lasting relationship.

Morphology: perennial herb, often cultivated as a 1-year-old. Stem trailing, plant height 30-60 cm. Pinnate leaves 2-4 into palm-like arrangement, leaflets rectangular, touch to close down. Heads light red, flowering July-October. Pods flat.

Decorative applications: mimosa plant shape scattered, pinnate leaves are slender and beautiful, its leaves are closed when touched, giving a person the impression of weakness and purity. Ground planting scattered planted in the corner of the courtyard. Potted plants can be placed on the window table.

Water: moist, watering once a day during the growing season in summer.

Fertilizer: fertilize every half month during the seedling stage. If you don't want the plant to be too big, reduce the amount of fertilizer.

Soil: The soil should be deep, fertile and moist.

Temperature: not hardy, Ji warm climate, winter plant die by itself.

Light: like sufficient light, slightly tolerate semi-shade.

Reproduction: seed propagation. late March to early April sowing, seedling growth is slow, seedling height 7-8 cm can be planted.

Flowering etiquette:

Gently cover the potted plant with pink tulle and tie a pink ribbon bow. A pink mohair pom-pom would be even more fun.

Name source

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Plants and animals are different, no nervous system, no muscles, it will not perceive external stimuli, and mimosa is different from the general plant, it is touched by the outside world, the petiole drooped, the small leaves closed, the action is understood as "shyness! This action is understood as "shyness", so it is called mimosa.

Ecological habits

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Mimosa is native to the tropical regions of South America, like warm and humid, the soil requirements are not strict, like light, but can tolerate semi-shade, so it can be used as indoor potted flowers to enjoy. Mimosa leaflets small, pinnately arranged, touch the leaflets, leaflets receive stimulation, that will be closed, such as vibration power, can make the stimulus to the whole leaf, the total petiole will be drooping, and even can be passed to the neighboring leaves to make their petioles drooping, as if the girl is shy and low hanging pink, so the name mimosa. Is it true that those leaves are shy? Of course not.

Morphological features

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Perennial (cultivated in Southern Jiangsu into annual), about 40 cm high, branched, scattered barbed hairs and sharp spines throughout the body. Leaves are 2-pinnately compound, pinnae 2-4, palmately arranged, leaflets 14-48, oblong, 0.6-1.1 cm long, 1.5-2 mm wide, margins and veins with prickly hairs. Heads oblong, 2-3 in leaf axils; flowers light red; calyx campanulate, with 8 minute calyx teeth; petals 4; stamens 4; ovary glabrous. Pods flattened, 1.2-2 cm long, ca. 0.4 cm wide, margins with prickly hairs, with 3-4 pod nodes, 1 seed per pod node, internodes falling off at maturity. Flowering period in September. Native to South America, now cultivated throughout China, as an ornamental plant, born in the jungles of mountain slopes and roadside wetlands; distributed in East China, South China, Southwest China and other provinces and regions. The whole herb is used medicinally to calm the mind, stop bleeding and astringent, dissipate blood stasis and relieve pain; the seeds can be extracted from oil. Mimosine in the body of the mimosa is a toxic substance, excessive exposure to the human body will cause hair loss.

Related Legends

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Once upon a time there was a very handsome young man who often went out fishing. One day, he saw an old man sitting by the river, muttering to himself, "Fishing! Fishing! Fishing! The small fish is not coming, the big fish is coming." The big fish really came to the old man. The boy said to the old man, "I'll learn to fish from you, okay?" The old man said, "There is nothing to learn from fishing, you seem to be very honest, I'll tell you a secret, as long as you keep walking along this river bank, you will meet good things." The old man said, people disappeared.

The young man was very happy, thinking, I must have met the immortal, and walked along the bank all the time. It was dark, still going forward, in front of a large bay full of lotus flowers. The water's edge, a family door open, lighted, a girl sitting in the silk weaving. The young man went forward and asked: "May I ask what this place is, I lost my way." Silk weaving woman said: "This is the lotus farm, I am the lotus woman, you are tired of walking, can come in and sit down to rest." The young man sat for a while, to go, the lotus woman did not stay him, sent him out of the door. The young man returned home, the heart of the obsessed, think this lotus woman, must be a fairy. Fishing old man said, forward will encounter good things, may be this fairy to come down to earth, looking to marry her. The next morning, the young man and walk along the riverbank, dark to the Lotus Village, Lotus female is still there, the attitude than yesterday's pro it more. She told the young man to take off his tattered coat, give him a sewing. The young man said, "I'm all alone!" The Lotus Flower Woman acted as if she hadn't heard her. She mended the coat and sent the boy out. The young man returned home in the middle of the night, can not sit down, unsteady, back to the river and run, and then to the Lotus Bay, see a large lotus in the bay, they called the lotus woman, and indeed the lotus woman came on the waves. She said, "My father forbids me to associate with mortals, and henceforth we shall not meet." The boy cried and wept. The Lotus Woman comforted him, saying, "If you are sincere, I will run away with you." The boy swore to heaven that he would never change his mind. The lotus woman took the young man driving clouds to the sky in the deep forest, a small bridge leads to the door of the hut, they crossed the bridge into the house, the house is fully furnished, there is also a loom. There they were married. The young man went out hunting every day, without much effort, you can hunt some mountain rabbits, mountain chickens, free time, on the mountains and water. Lotus woman is very hard, every day in addition to weaving silk, but also to the mountains to plant mulberry.

Year after year passed, the lotus woman's hair, not so shiny, rosy face is not so lovely, the young man said to him: "You are too tired, people become old, you rest!" The lotus woman shook her head and said, "Look, if those many barren mountains had become mulberry forests, how beautiful it would be!" The lotus woman pulled a needle from her head and gave it to the young man, saying, "This needle is a treasure, it can subdue fierce beasts, you have to use this precious needle to turn the uninhabited mountainous area occupied by vermin into a paradise for the people. Note that this precious needle must never fall into the hands of others." One day, the young man went to the distant wild mountains to hunt, he found a dark hole, thought it was strange, went into the hole, a tiger pounced on him, he used the precious needle given to him by the Lotus Lady to point it out, the tiger fled. In front of him was a big door, push the door to see, a bright light, a wonderful girl sitting on the bed, she is much more beautiful than the lotus woman, the girl welcomed him to sit on the bed with him, accompanied by food and wine, two people will be married. 3 days later, the girl said to look for going out to go to visit relatives, but afraid of tigers and wolves to hurt. The boy said, "I have a precious needle. Can overcome all beasts." Said the needle to the girl. Who knows that the girl out of the hole, the hole will be closed tightly, the young man was banned in the hole, he remembered what the lotus woman said, regret has been too late. Lotus woman see the young man does not come back, pinch a finger count, the heart to understand, the original young man has become a negative person, can not help but tears flow. Another thought, it is better to go to save his life! She has another treasure, is the key to open the mountain. Lotus woman to the door of the cave, the key to open the mountain a finger, the cave door opened wide, the young man out of the cave, the young man felt ashamed and uneasy. Lotus flower woman with tears, said: "I never dreamed that you are such a negative person!" The two were on their way back, the maiden came from behind and shouted, "Young man, come back!" The lotus woman said to the young man, "You must not look back at her, as long as you turn back, you will be dead." And the maiden cried out after her, "Think well, lad, where will you find another lovely beauty like me?" The lad was moved and looked back. The maiden took advantage of the moment when his mind was shaken, and with a swing of her handkerchief, she transformed the young man into a tender grass growing on the ground.

The lotus woman gazed at the grass, the grass blades double together, as if the palms of repentance, and then shyly drooped petioles, said to recognize the mistake. The lotus woman said: "young man, you can still know shame, but also can recognize the wrong." Later, everyone called it "mimosa", and became a favorite grass.

Yang Guifei and Mimosa

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There is a small and delicate flowers, its compound leaves are like hibiscus branches, dotted symmetry, like bird feathers. The plant is adorned with a number of small talk about red flowers, like prunes. People with a finger, it is that the pinnate leaflets will soon close, petiole also slowly drooping, like a young girl in the world, because of the purity and simplicity, to be so coy, shy, so people call it "mimosa".

Legend has it that when Yang Yuhuan first came to the palace, she couldn't see the king because she was so sad all the time. Once, she went to the palace garden to enjoy the flowers with the palace maidens, inadvertently touched the mimosa, the grass leaves immediately rolled up. The ladies said that it was the beauty of Yang Yuhuan that made the flowers and plants ashamed of themselves, so shy that they could not raise their heads. When Emperor Minghuang of Tang heard that there was a "flower-shy beauty" in the palace, he immediately summoned her to meet him and made her a Noble Concubine. Since then, "shy flower" has become the elegant name of Yang Guifei. Mimosa "shy" to see people, is due to the plant's electricity. Mimosa leaves perched at the base, there is a thin-walled cell organization called "leaf mattress", usually filled with enough water. When the leaf blade is stimulated, the water in the thin-walled cell, under the instruction of plant electricity, immediately flows to the upper part and both sides. As the weight of the leaf blade increases, the phenomenon of leaf blade closure and drooping petiole is produced. Mimosa plant is slender and delicate, in order to survive, it is in the long-term natural selection, the formation of this special ability to adapt to the environment.

The reason why mimosa is "shy"

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A research group led by Prof. Takayoshi Tsuchiya of Sophia University in Japan has unraveled the mystery of the mimosa's closing movement: mimosa cells are made of tiny, mesh-like proteins known as "actin", which is a protein that is used to bind mimosa cells. The mimosa cells are supported by a tiny mesh-like protein called actin. The actin phosphoric acid is shed during the closing movement, and as long as the mimosa is allowed to absorb compounds that prevent the phosphoric acid from being shed, the mimosa will remain unchanged even if it is touched. Prof. Tsuchiya pointed out that when the strands of actin break apart, the cell is destroyed, and as a result, water escapes, resulting in closed movement. Actin is usually found in the muscle fibers of animals and is associated with muscle expansion and contraction. I didn't realize it was also found in mimosa, which is quite rare.

Movement in plants is usually caused by changes in intracellular expansion pressure. Most mature plant cells have a large liquid vesicle. When the vesicle is filled with water, it compresses the surrounding cytoplasm so that it clings to the cell wall, while giving the cell wall a pressure that causes the cell to stiffen and expand, like a blown-up balloon. The concentration of organic and inorganic substances contained in the vesicle determines the osmotic pressure, and the osmotic pressure can determine the direction of water diffusion. When the concentration of the vesicle increases, the osmotic pressure increases, and water diffuses from the outside to the inside of the cell and enters the vesicle, increasing the expansion pressure of the cell and causing it to bulge; conversely, the cell shrinks. This process can only cause slow movements, such as the opening and closing of stomata.

Mimosa leaves, if touched, will immediately close up, the greater the force of the touch, the faster the closure, the whole leaf will hang down, like a breathless look, the whole action is completed in a few seconds. It is not a nervous system, but the base of the petiole and the base of the petiolules of some cells of the cell membrane of the semipermeable change in a flash, leading to rapid expansion of the pressure changes.

At the base of the petiole and petiolules there is a more inflated part called the "leaf cushion". The leaf cushion is very responsive to stimuli and has many thin-walled cells in its central portion. These cells at rest will transport negatively charged chloride ions into the cell and oxygen ions out of the cell, keeping a certain potential difference between the cell membrane and the neighboring area, called the resting potential. When the external stimulus exceeds a certain limit, this differential permeability will suddenly change, and positively charged calcium ions flood into the cell in large quantities, while potassium ions proceed in the opposite direction, increasing the intramembrane potential, or even becoming a positive potential, and thus generating an action potential, a phenomenon called depolarization. The action potential will be transmitted, when the cell reaches the action potential, that is, when the depolarization phenomenon is generated, the differential permeability of the cell membrane will disappear, so that the water originally stored in the vesicles is discharged in an instant, so that the cell loses the expansion pressure and becomes limp. Therefore, when the base of the petiolule is stimulated, the expansion pressure of the thin-walled cells in the upper part of the petiolule decreases, while the thin-walled cells in the lower part of the petiolule maintain the original expansion pressure, causing the leaflet to stand upright in the direction of the petiole. The vascular bundles in the petiole, in the leaf occipital synthesized into a large pipe, as to accommodate the water discharged from the leaf occipital.

Mimosa main applications

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1, ornamental. Mimosa plant shape scattered, pinnate leaves slender and beautiful, its leaves a touch closed; mimosa flower more and clear, Chu Chu moving, giving a person the impression of weak and clear. Can be planted in the garden corner, can also be potted in the window table.

2, medicinal. Mimosa is also a drug.

Source legume Mimosa pudica L. Mimosa pudica plant of the whole grass. Harvested in summer and fall, remove the weeds, wash, cut, dry or fresh.

Taste and odor attribution sweet, astringent, cool. There is a small poison.

Functions and IndicationsClearing heat and diuretic, resolving phlegm and relieving cough, tranquilizing the mind and relieving pain, detoxifying, dispersing blood stasis, stopping bleeding, and astringent. Used for colds, pediatric fever, acute conjunctivitis, bronchitis, gastritis, enteritis, urinary stones, malaria, neurasthenia; external treatment of bruises and swelling pain, sores and swollen toxins, hemoptysis, herpes zoster.

Use and dosage 5 to 8 money; external use of appropriate amount, mashed on the affected area.

Note pregnant women should not take. This product has anesthetic effect, internal use should not be overdosed.

Excerpts from National Compendium of Chinese Herbal Medicine

3. Predicting earthquakes. According to Turkish seismologist Eljan, a few hours before a strong earthquake, mimosa leaves, which are sensitive to the outside world's touch, will suddenly shrivel and then wither. In earthquake-prone Japan, scientists have found that under normal circumstances, mimosa leaves open during the day and close at night. If the mimosa leaves appear during the day closed, open at night the abnormal phenomenon, is the precursor of an earthquake. For example, on January 11, 1938, at 7:00 a.m., the mimosa began to open, but at 10:00 a.m., the leaves suddenly closed, and a strong earthquake occurred on the 13th, and in 1976, members of the Earthquake Club of Japan, who had repeatedly observed the mimosa leaves close abnormally, and then an earthquake occurred.

Mimosa planting

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[Propagation and cultivation]

(1) Propagation:

Propagation by seed sowing, spring and fall can be sown, before sowing can be used to soak the seeds in 35 ℃ warm water for 24 hours, shallow pots sown in holes, mulch 1 - 2 cm, to soak pots to give water to the method to keep wet, at 15 - 20 ℃, after 7 - 10 days seedling. -10 days of seedlings, seedling height of 5 cm on the pot. Seed picking selection of robust mother plant, strengthen management, in the fruiting period with the ripe with the picking, pods will automatically open when ripe.

(2) Cultivation

No special requirements for maintenance management. General soil can be cultivated, not much fertilizer during the growing period, apply dilute liquid fertilizer 2 - 3 times can be, fertilizer should not be too much to leaf green growth can be strong, do not make the apostle long, because mimosa is mainly for the fun of foliage flowers, to small for good.

Mimosa planting technology is simple, sloppy management. The climate, sunlight, soil requirements are not strict, but to fertile, loose sandy loam is preferred, like warm and moist environment.

1, planting method. General seed reproduction, late March to early April sowing. Spread the seeds evenly on the fine soil, mulch about 1.5 cm, at a temperature of about 18 ℃, about 10 days can be a seedling (generally into the soil that is long, do not need to spend energy to specialize in management). Seedling growth is slow, 7-8 cm can be planted.

2, field management. Field planting spacing 25-30 cm, timely loosening, hoeing, watering. Indoor potted plants, watering once a day in summer. Fertilizer once a month, if you do not want to let the plant shape is too large, then to reduce the amount of fertilizer, or even do not need to fertilize.

3, pest control: basically no pests and diseases. If there are slugs, they can be controlled with fresh lime powder in the morning.

Reproduction methods

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Mimosa is a taproot plant, with few fibrous roots, suitable for seed propagation, and it is best to take the method of direct broadcasting, so as not to transplant the roots; if you have to transplant, it should be transplanted in the seedling stage, otherwise it will not be easy to survive, as a yearly cultivation of mimosa, usually sown indoors in the early spring.

You can use a small pot to live. You can also use shallow pots to raise seedlings planted. Sowing soil with 2 into the leaf-rotting soil, 3 into the garden soil, 5 into the fine yellow sand sifted and mixed preparation. When sowing, first in the pot on the appropriate amount of culture soil, paved and compacted, with a spray bottle sprinkler water, to be all water penetration immediately after sowing. Small pots direct sowing, each pot sowing seeds 1 ~ 2. If you use shallow pots to raise seedlings, the distance of 2cm × 2cm for spot sowing. After sowing, cover the soil with 3 to 5cm to cover the seeds. Pots covered with glass or plastic film to moisturize, will be placed in the pot to about 20 ℃ of diffused light. Later, when you see the potting soil is dry, use the soaking pot method to irrigate. After about 7 to 10 days, the seeds germinated seedlings.

After the emergence of seedlings, should be removed from the pot on the cover, and make the gradual acceptance of sunlight. When the seedlings grow to 3cm high, sown in shallow pots can be transplanted. Split seedlings should be transplanted with soil, otherwise it is not easy to survive. Freshly potted seedlings watered thoroughly, first put into the semi-shade, to slow down the seedlings and then moved to a sunny place. And live in small pots can be directly placed in full sun growth. South in April, the north in early May, you can move the seedling pots out of the outdoor culture, and timely watering often keep the potting soil moist. Seedlings grow to 4 leaves when the start of liquid fertilizer, generally 7-10 days of fertilizer once rotted light liquid fertilizer can be. Seedlings can grow up and then change the pot, but the pot should not be too large, generally planted to 15-20cm medium pots can be.

Cultivation management

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Strong adaptability, like warm climate, not cold, in the moist fertile soil grow well.

Mimosa is strong in habit and rapid in growth. Growing season can be placed on the balcony or in the yard, requires deep, fertile, moist soil. In winter, it should be moved to the indoor windowsill, indoor temperature of about 1O ℃ can be safe over winter. Under sunny conditions, the root system grows quickly and requires daily watering. Summer heat and drought should be watered once in the morning and once in the evening, lack of water, the leaves will droop to yellow, touched and no longer closed. Fertilizer is applied once every half month during the seedling stage. If you don't want the plant to get too big, reduce the amount of fertilizer. Mimosa leaflets small, pinnately arranged, flinging hand touch leaflets stimulated, that is, close, such as vibration can make the stimulus to the whole leaf, the total petiole will also sag, and may even be passed to the neighboring leaves so that their petioles sagging. This is a mimosa on the environment of a kind of adaptation, because of its origin in the tropics, more stormy, when the rain drops in the leaflets and storms blowing the leaflets that it is able to sense, immediately close the leaves, to protect their own weak leaves from storm damage, botanical this interesting phenomenon is called seismic movement.

Mimosa

Genus Mimosa L. Mimosa

Description Mimosa L. Mimosa, Mimosaaceae, about 400 species, native to Tropical America, there are three species in China, of which Mimosa M. pudica L. There are also wild in the southern part of our country, and there are especially many in the suburbs of Guangzhou. Such plants have sensitive leaves, a little touch, leaflets that is closed upward, and the petiole for 60 degrees down, with the same position taken at night, soon, and then return to the original state. This movement, according to previous research, is due to the base of the petiole of the expanded part of the "cushion" in the cell membrane thickness and intracellular water loss caused by.... Shrubs, herbs, or lianas, sparsely trees, often with thorns; leaves bipinnately compound, sensitive, drooping when touched while leaflets close upward; flowers small, bisexual or unisexual, arranged in capitate or spicate inflorescences; calyx campanulate, shortly cleft toothed; petals 4-5, ± connate; stamens 4-10, separate, prominent; ovary sessile or shortly stalked Ovary sessile or shortly stipitate; pods flattened, oblong or linear, with 3-6 pod nodes, pod margins persistent on fruiting stalks after nodes fall off.

Family Mimosaceae

Distribution World: 400 species; China: 3 species

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