Sunday, December 19, 2010

Noli me tangere: Mimosa Pudica























































One of the common names for Mimosa Pudica is touch- me-not. A favourite with children, the compound leaves of this herb close in once touched. The Spanish common name for it is Dormidera. The closed leaves reveal the thorn in the plant to resist browsing cattle. Even otherwise, the leaves are not eaten by grazing animals.

The above images are taken by the river bank of Mahanadi. In the first photograph above, the leaves are have closed after I touched the plant. The root of the plant works as an anti-venom for cobra bite. New chemotherapeutic properties are also extracted from this plant. Mimosine from Mimosa Pudica is used for its antiproliferative properties in the treatment of ovarian cancer. The pink cotton ball like flowers look very attractive on the green leaf-beds.

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