Mimosa pigra

Scientific name: Mimosa pigra

Family: Mimosaceae

Habitat

Native to South America, it is also found in the sub-Saharan territories of West Africa.

Medicine:

M. pigra is used in tropical Africa as a tonic and for diarrhoea, gonorrhoea and blood poisoning. In Tanzania, the powdered leaf is taken with water to relieve swelling. In Zambia, the root ash is sprinkled over leprous patches on the skin. The root is apparently aphrodisiac to some persons and calming to others. The seed is emetic and an expectorant and is used for tooth troubles. The leaf is said to contain mimosine; it is purgative and perhaps tonic.

Photo

The last image in the gallery is a section of the siliqua, containing the seeds. One of the many ingenious systems for protecting the seed from attacks by various animals.