Sensitive pant/touch-me-not or Chui mui is semi-erect subshrub native to tropical America and Australia. It is also found in India and known as Laajwanti becuase of its leaves sensitivity for touch. It leaves fold and drop on touching. It is a medicinal herb with antibacterial, anti-venom, antifertility, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, aphrodisiac, and various other pharmacological activities. Mimosa propagates through seeds. All five parts of Mimosa plant (Panchang - leaves, flowers, stems, roots, and fruits) are used for medicinal purpose.
Taxonomy Latin name: Mimosa pudica | Hindi: Laajvanti and Chhui-mui Bengali: Lajjabati Telugu: Attapatti and Peddanidrakanni Tamil: Tottaaladi and Thottalchnungi Kannada: Lajja, Nachika and Mudugu-davare Malayalam: Tintarmani Vernacular names Sanskrit: Lajjalu, Laajwanti English: Sensitive plant |
Plant Morphology
Stem: Rachis are clothed with prickles.
Flowers: globose, pink heads. Pollinated by winds and insects.
Pods: Small, flat, straw colour with many bristles.
Seeds: 3-5
Fruits: Cluster of 2-8 pods with prickly margins
Root: Cylindrical, tapering, with secondary and tertiary branches, varying in length up to 2-cm thick, surface more or less rough or longitudinally wrinkled; greyish-brown to brown, cut surface of pieces pale yellow, fracture hard, woody, bark-fibrous; odour, distinct; taste, slightly astringent.
Leaf: compound leaves with one or two pairs of sessile, hairy pinnae, alternate, petiole, stipulate, linear lanceolate; leaflets 10–20 pairs, 0.6–1.2-cm long, 0.3–0.4-cm broad, sessile, obliquely narrow or linear oblong; obliquely rounded at base, acute, nearly glabrous, yellowish green.
Pharmacological Activities
- Diuretic activities
Its leaves decoction promotes urine production with excretion of sodium and potassium ion, but without affecting potassium excretion. - Lowers abnormal uterine bleeding
The decoction of roots is useful in management of abnormal uterine bleeding. - Anti-fertility effect
The oral intake of roots causes decreases in fertility. The lab test on mice, shows altered estrous cycle and increased number of degenerated ovum. - Antivenom activity
The aqueous extract of roots shows activity against snake venom. - Hyperglycemic effect
Its leaves causes increase in blood sugar in body. - Antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral activity
The various parts of Mimosa plant show antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral activity. - Wound healing activity
The roots have wound healing activities and can be used for faster healing of cuts and wounds.
Traditional Medicinal use
Mimosa is useful in treating various ailments. It can be applied externally on boils, ulcers, wounds, fungus, cuts and piles. In Ayurveda, its use is mentioned for skin and vaginal diseases, swelling, burning sensation, diarrhoea etc.
This plant is effective in treating bleeding disorders like menorrhagia, excessive uterine bleeding, and dysentery with blood, mucus and piles.