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Mimosa pudica L.
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English Name |
Sensitive Plant, Humble Plant, Touch-me-not, Action Plant, Shme Plant |
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Latin name |
Mimosa pudica L. |
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Family & Genus |
Fabaceae, Mimosa |
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Description |
Loose suffruticose herbs, as tall as 1m. Stem much branched, sparsiflorous throughout, reflexed hooked spine and anatropous bristle. Pinnately compound leaves, pinnas always 4, interdigitately arranged on the terminal; petiole 1.5-4cm long; stipule lanceolate, 5-10mm long, bristled. Leaflets 10-24 pairs, close and drooping when touched; leaflets linear oblong, 6-13mm long, 1.5-2mm wide, apex acute, base nearly circular, slightly deflective, margin and veins sparsely bristled. Capitulum oblong, long stemmed, solitary or 2-3 borne in leaf axil, ca. 1cm in diam. Flowers small, light red; bracts linear, margin bristled; calyx funnel shaped, rather small, shortly cracked, 8 small calyx teeth; corolla campanulate, upper 4 lobed, lobes triangular, outside pubescent; stamens 4, base aggregated, stretching out of petal; ovary short stipitate, glabrous, style filamentous, stigma small. Legume flat and bent, ca. 14mm long, apex beaked, loments 3-4, each loment has one seed, loment margin undate, echinated, loments drooping when ripe. Seed broadly ovate. Flowering: March to October, fruiting: May to November. |
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Distribution |
Growing on wet lands, hill-slope grass and roadsides; is the naturalized plant introduced from America. Distributed in East, South and Southwest China. The medicinal materials are mainly produced in Taiwan, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and etc. |
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Part Used |
Medical part: whole plant or roots. Chinese name: Hanxiucao (whole plant), Hanxiucaogen (roots). |
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Harvest & Processing |
Whole plant: harvested whole plant in summer, removed sedimen, washed, sun-dried or used fresh. Roots: harvested in summer and autumn, washed, chopped into segments, sun-dried or used fresh. |
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Chemistry |
Leaves contain contractile protein and flavonoid, etc. Roots contain hemoglobin and some kinds of selenium compounds, alkaloids, flavonoid and lactone. |
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Pharmacology |
Whole plant and roots: cough-suppressing, phlegm-eliminating, and anti-bacterial. |
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Properties & Actions |
Whole plant: sweet harsh little bitter, little cold, mild-toxic. Root: harsh little bitter, warm, toxic.Whole plant: clearing heat and disinhibiting urine, dissipating phlegm and suppressing cough, calming mental state and calming mental state, cooling blood and detoxifying. Roots: suppressing cough and dissipating phlegm, disinhibiting dampness and freeing the network vessels, improving eyesight and calming mental state, harmonizing stomach for dispersing accumulations. |
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Indications & Usage |
Whole herb: common cold, infantile chronic fever, acute conjunctivitis, bronchitis, enteritis, hepatitis, gastritis, insomnia, conjunctivitis, acute posterior ganglionitis, edema, hemoptysis due to impairment caused by overstrain, epistaxis, hematuria, anthracia, urinary tract calculus, malaria, neurasthenia, externally used for swelling pains from falls, pyocutaneous disease and swelling. Root: chronic tracheitis, pain from rheumatism, menostasia, headache and insomnia, blurred vision, chronic hepatitis, and infantile dyspepsia.Whole plant: oral administration: decocting, 15-30g, fresh products 30-60g; External application: appropriate amount, smashed for applying on affected parts. Not use in cases of pregnancies. Roots: oral administration: decocting, 9-15g, fresh products 30-60g; or made as medicinal liquor. External application: appropriate amount, smashed for applying. |
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Examples |
1. Rheumatalgia: sensitive plant root 5g. Infuse in liquor and swallow.
2. Infantile fever: sensitive plant 9g. Decoct in water and swallow.
3. Acute hepatitis: sensitive plant whole herb 15-60g. Decoct in water and swallow. |
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Permanent URL：https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/cmed/mpid/detail.php?herb_id=D00334 |
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