photo #807312

6/30/2019 - Touch-me-nots (Mimosa pudica) -Seen here along Bailey's Road in Bridge City, Texas, in three stages of life - withered and ready to drop seed (possibly fruited), new bud, and flowering. What would be considered the "fruit" of the plant is what is left after the flowering. The fruit are little brown pods surrounded by bristles. Now that I know, I will have to try to get a better photo of one that has fruited. The beautiful pink flowers look like they have little lights, or flecks of gold, on the tips of each filament.When you touch the leaves of the plant, they instantly close up, but will open up again after just a minute or two. They will also close up on a cloudy day or when the sun is going down on them.MEDICINAL INFO:Although some countries do consider this plant invasive, it is a traditional medicinal herb used in India. All parts of the plant are used: flowers, leaves, stem, roots, and fruits. Extracts of this plant promotes healthy blood circulation and also healthy cell growth. It appears to be anti-diarrheal, anti-toxin, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-viral...the list goes on.Link to one website showing most recent research and all the worth of this tiny little plant: Pharmocognosy Review (2012):https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459453/NOTE: I have seen a few along the road in front of our property in years past, but I've never taken the time to photo or research them. Of course, this year, when I'm finally interested, there aren't any.