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Giant sensitive plant (Mimosa diplotricha)

Dlium Giant sensitive plant (Mimosa diplotricha)

Giant sensitive plant (Mimosa diplotricha) is a leguminous wood shrub species in the Caesalpinioideae, grown as erect shrubs or rock climbers, up to 3 meter high.

M. diplotricha develops sensitive leaves and will fold if touched. The bipinnate leaves are bright green, hairy and sit alternately along the stem. Each leaf contains about 20 pairs of small sessile lancet leaflets facing each other. Each leaflet is 6-12 mm long and 1.5 mm wide.



Rembet has very long and square-shaped wooden trunks with four longitudinal angular backs. The rows of dense thorns are very sharp stretching along the ridge where each is 3-6 mm long. Flowers are pale pink, forming balls for a diameter of 12 mm and appearing from short stems in leaf joints.

Flowers develop into seed pods and winding. Each pod has a length of 10-35 mm and a width of 6 mm. The seeds are oval and flat for 2-2.5 mm long, 0.6-1.4 mm thick and light brown. Nila grass grows fast and is able to tolerate various soils and climates.

TAXON

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Subphylum: Angiospermae
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Mimosoideae
Tribe: Mimoseae
Genus: Mimosa L. in Sp. Pl.: 516 (1753)
Species: Mimosa diplotricha C.Wright in Anales Real Acad. Ci. Méd. Habana 5: 405 (1869)
Varity: Mimosa diplotricha var. diplotricha, Mimosa diplotricha var. odibilis Barneby

PUBLICATIONS

Acevedo-Rodríguez, P. & Strong, M.T. (2012). Catalogue of seed plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany 98: 1-1192.

Aung, Y.L., Aung, M.H., Tan, Y. & Jin, X. (2025). An updated checklist of vascular plants of Myanmar. PhytoKeys 261: 135-364.

Barthelat, F. (2019). La flore illustrée de Mayotte: 1-687. Biotope éditions.

Brako, L. & Zarucchi, J.L. (1993). Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Gymnosperms of Peru. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 45: i-xl, 1-1286. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Forero, E. & Castellanos, C. (eds.) (2019). Estudios en Leguminosas Colombianas 3: 1-398. Academia Colombiana de ciencias exactas, físicas y naturales.

Garcia-Mendoza, A.J. & Meave, J.A. (eds.) (2012). Diversidad florística de Oaxaca: de musgos a angiospermas (colecciones y listas de especies), ed. 2: 1-351. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

Hammel, B.E., Grayum, M.H., Herrera & C. & Zamora, N. (eds.) (2010). Manual de plantas de Costa Rica volumen V. Dicotiledóneas (Clusiaceae-Gunneraceae). Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 119: 1-970. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.

Jørgensen, P.M. & León-Yánes, S. (eds.) (1999). Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Ecuador: 1-1181. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Jørgensen, P.M., Nee, M.H. & Beck., S.G. (eds.) (2013). Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de Bolivia. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 127: 1-1741. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Kitalong, A.H., DeMeo, R.A. & Holm, T. (2008). Native Trees Palau. A field guide: 1-236.

Kumar, S. & Sane, P.V. (2003). Legumes of South Asia. A Checklist: 1-536. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Leti, M., Hul, S., Fouché, J.-G., Cheng, S.K. & David, B. (2013). Flore photographique du Cambodge: 1-589. Éditions Privat, Toulouse.

Lock, J.M. & Ford, C.S. (2004). Legumes of Malesia a Check-List: 1-295. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Lock, J.M. & Heald, J. (1994). Legumes of Indo-China a check-list: 1-164. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Nelson Sutherland, C.H. (2008). Catálogo de las plantes vasculares de Honduras. Espermatofitas: 1-1576. SERNA/Guaymuras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Pasha, M.K. & Uddin, S.B. (2013). Dictionary of plant names of Bangladesh, Vasc. Pl.: 1-434. Janokalyan Prokashani, Chittagong, Bangladesh.

Polhill, R.M. (1990). Flore des Mascareignes 80: 1-235. IRD Éditions, MSIRI, RBG-Kew, Paris.

Sanjappa, M., Pusalkar, P.K. & Mao, A.A. (eds.) (2024). Flora of India 6: 1-556. Botanical Survey of India.

Shou, H.Y., Yan, X.L. & Ma, J.S. (2012). Nomenclatural notes on alien invasive vascular plants in China (2). Plant Diversity and Resources 34: 347-353.

Sosef, M.S.M. & al. (2006). Check-list des plantes vasculaires du Gabon. Scripta Botanica Belgica 35: 1-438.

Stevens, W.D., Ulloa U., C., Pool, A. & Montiel, O.M. (2001). Flora de Nicaragua. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 85: i-xlii, 1-2666. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Sykes, W.R. (2016). Flora of the Cook Islands: 1-973. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Hawaii.

Villaseñor, J.L. (2016). Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 87: 559-902.

Whistler, W.A. (2022). Flora of Samoa Flowering Plants: 1-930. National Tropical Botanicl Garden. Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (2010). Flora of China 10: 1-642. Science Press (Beijing) & Missouri Botanical Garden Press (St. Louis).

Zuloaga, F.O., Morrone, O. , Belgrano, M.J., Marticorena, C. & Marchesi, E. (eds.) (2008). Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur. Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 107: 1-3348. Missouri Botanical Garden.

VERNACULAR NAME

Arabic: نبات عملاق حساس
Chinese (Simplified): 巴西含羞草
Chinese (Traditional): 美洲含羞草 - 美洲含羞草 - 巴西含羞草
Cook Islands: Pikika'a papa'a
English: Giant sensitive plant, Giant false sensitive plant, Nila grass
Fiji: Co gadrogadro, Wa ngandrongandro ni wa ngalelevu, Wa ngandrongandro levu
Filipino: Makahiyang lalaki, Bulunsari, Balansuri
French: Grande sensitive, Sensitive géante
Hebrew: צמח ענק רגיש
Indonesian: Pis koetjing, Rembet
Japanese: 巨大な敏感植物
Java: Rèmbètè
Malayalam: Aanathottavadi
Malaysia: Duri semalu
Nepali: अरकाण्डे - ठूलो लज्जावती झार Arakaande, Thoolo Lajjaawatee Jhaar
Nusa Tenggara: Boring, Borang, Djoekoet borang, Puteri malu
Palau: Mechiuaiuu
Papua New Guinea: Nila grass
Saipan: Singbiguin sasa
Samoa: Vao fefe palagi, La'au fefe palagi
Spanish: Raspancilla
Thai: ไมยราบเลื้อย
Vietnamese: Cõ trinh nu móc

Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
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