EABACEiE. 



175 



number of the species are natives of New Holland, but 

 they are found also in the East Indies, the Cape, and South 

 America. 



MIMOSA. (Sensitive Plant.) 



Gen. Char. (Polygamia Monoecia.) In those flowers having 

 both stamens and pistils the calyx is five-toothed ; corolla, when 

 present, five-toothed ; stamens eight ; pod separating into one- 

 seeded joints ; barren flower — calyx, and corolla when present, 

 five-toothed, stamens eight. 



The name is said to be derived from the Greek for buffoon, 

 because the sensitive leaves appear to play with those who 

 touch them. The Sensitive Plants, Mimosa sensitiva and 

 puclica, require the stove to be in a flourishing condition, 

 but they are occasionally introduced into the cooler house ; 

 they are natives of Brazil, and have purplish flowers. M. 

 jorostrata, the spreading Mimosa, can be trained to walls in 

 the greenhouse, and its pretty pinnated leaves have a good 

 effect. The soil should be light sandy peat and loam ; cut- 

 tings root in sand with heat. 



