SENSITIVE PLANT. 
POLYGAMIA monoecia. 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
Calyx of one small petal with four clefts. 
Corolla funnel-shaped, half- five-cleft. 
Pericarp a long pod, containing several seeds. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Mimosa pudica. M. aculeata, foliis subdigltatis pinnatis, caule 
hispido. Spec., Plant. Linn. ed. tert. 
p. 1501. 
Prickly Mimosa, with finger-shaped pinnated 
leaves and hairy stem. 
Mimosa humilis frutescens & spinosa, siliquis 
conglobatis. Plum. Spec. 17. Icon. 203. 
Mimosa foliis digitatis 5 foliolis pinnatis, 
eaule aculeato hispidoque ; foliis pinnato- 
pahnatis, singulis numerose pinnatis. Hort„ 
Cliff. 208 . 
Sensitive Plant. Comm. Uort. l.p. 5/. pi. 2 g. Diet. d’Hist 
Nat. ed. 1803. 1. p. 63 . pi. 1. f. 2. 
This well known exotic has long and justly been 
admired for exhibiting a very curious phenomenon. 
It has the singular property of contracting certain 
parts of its body whenever they are touched. By 
