SENSITIVE PLANT

either of two plants, in the pea family (Fabaceae), that respond to touch and other stimulation by closing up their leaves and drooping. The more common plant is Mimosa pudica, also called humble plant. A spiny, shrubby plant growing to a height of about 30 cm (1 ft), it has fernlike leaves and small, globular, mauve flower puffs. A widespread weed in tropical regions, it is naturalized elsewhere in warm areas and is grown as a curiosity in greenhouses. The plant's unusually quick response to touch is due to rapid water release from specialized cells located at the bases of leaflet and leaf stalks. Wild sensitive plant (Cassia nictitans), up to 50 cm, also exhibits sensitivity to touch but to a lesser degree. It is native to the eastern U.S. and the West Indies.