Mimosa gets its name mainly because its leaves will fold up when touched, as if they are shy about being touched by others. The reason why the leaves fold up when touched is because there is a special organ "leaf pillow" at the base of its petiole. Once the leaf is touched, it will be transmitted back to the leaf pillow, and the cell fluid of the parenchyma cells in the leaf pillow will begin to flow into the intercellular space, reducing its ability to expand. The pressure between the cells in the lower part of the leaf pillow is reduced, resulting in leaf closure and the plant The phenomenon of sagging.
Why is Mimosa called Mimosa? Why does the leaves fold up when touched?
1. Why is Mimosa called Mimosa?
The main reason why Mimosa gets its name is Because its leaves are special, as long as it is touched or raindrops fall on the leaves, it will immediately shrink its leaves, and then the plant will droop slightly. Just like a shy little girl, when someone makes a little joke, she immediately covers her face and blushes in embarrassment, so she named it Mimosa.
Mimosa
2. Why the leaves fold up when touched
The reason Mimosa folds up its leaves is not just because it is really "shy", but because There is a special organ "leaf pillow" at the base of its petiole. It contains many parenchyma cells, which are very sensitive to external stimuli. Once the leaf is touched, it will be immediately transmitted back to the leaf pillow. At this time, the cell fluid of the parenchyma cells in the leaf pillow will begin to flow into the intercellular space, reducing the expansion ability of the cells, and the pressure between cells in the lower part of the leaf pillow is reduced, causing the leaves to close and the plant to droop. After a few minutes the leaves will slowly open again. Therefore, it is a physiological phenomenon that the leaves of Mimosa will close when touched.
Mimosa
3. Precautions
Do not touch the leaves of Mimosa frequently. Frequent handling can cause them to stunt and even wilt prematurely. Moreover, mimosa has some mild toxicity. If it is touched frequently, it will have an impact on the human hair follicles and cause hair loss.
Mimosa