Mimosaceae

Distribution of Mimosaceae:

• It is commonly called Acacia family.

• It includes 56 genera and 2800 species.
• In Pakistan it is represented by 11 genera and 49 species.
Distributed
Mostly in tropical and sub-tropical regions.

Classification
Division: Spermatophyta ( Phanerogams)
Sub – division: Angosperms
Class: Dicotyledos
Sub – class: Polypetalae
Series: Clyciflorae
Order: Rosales
Family Liguminosae
Sub - Family Mimosaceae
A. Vegetative characters:
Habit:
Herbs (Mimosa), climbers (Entada) and trees (Acacia,
Albizzia) and hydrophytic (Neptunia oleracea), xerophytic
(Acacia).
Root:
Tap, much branched and deep.
Stem:
Erect or climbing woody, branched angular or cylindrical,
solid, covered with bark.
Leaf:
Cauline, ramal, alternate, pinnate or bipinnate
compound, stipulate, stipules may be modified into spines,
petiolate.
B. Floral characters:

Inflorescence:
Cymose head (Acacia), spike or racemose ( Prosopis).
Flower:
Pedicellate or sub-sessile (Acacia) or sessile (Prosopis),
bracteate, actinomorphic, hermaphrodite, hypogynous,
complete, tetra or pentamerous.
Calyx:
Sepals 5, gamosepalous, valvate or imbricate (Parkia),
green or petaloid (Acacia nilotica).
Corolla:
Petals 5, polypetalous or gamopetalous (Acacia) valvate.
Androecium:
4 free in Mimosa, to free in Prosopis, indefinite and monadelphous in
Albizzia, filaments long.
Gynoecium:
Monocarpellaiy, ovary superior, unilocular, marginal placentation.

Fruit:
A legume or lomentum.
Seed:
Non-endospermic.

Floral formula:
Mimosa pudica (touch-me-not)
Habit:
Herb, widely spreading and diffuse; cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant.
Root:
A nodulated, much branched tap root.
Stem:
Erect, herbaceous above and woody below, solid, branched, prickly.
Leaf:
Compound-bipinnate sensitive to contact, stipulate, stipules modified into
spines, petiolate, petiole long and prickly, alternate.
Leaflet:
10-20 pairs, sessile, opposite, oblong, entire, acute, unicostate reticulate
venation.
Inflorescence:
cymose axillary head, pink.
Flower:
Bracteate, sub-sessile, complete, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, tetramerous,
hypogynous, pink.
Mimosa pudica
Calyx:
Sepals 4, gamosepalous, campanulate, valvate.
Corolla:
Petals 4, polypetalous,
Androecium
filaments long, anthers dithecous, introrse, dorsifixed or versatile.
Gynoecium:
Monocarpellaiy, superior, unilocular, marginal placentation, many ovules; style
long and filiform; stigma terminal, minute.
Fruit:
A pod or lomentum, 3-6 jointed, covered with bristles.
Seed:
Non-endospermic.

Floral formula: 4
Floral diagram of Mimosa pudica

Floral formula
Important plants of family Mimosaceae
1.Acacia nilotica.
2. Albizzia lebbek (Siris)
3. Neptunia oleracea
4. Acacia modesta
5. Acacia senegal
6. Prosopis juliflora ( Kabali kikar)
7. Mimosa pudica ( Chui – mui)
8. Mimosa rubiculis
Economic Importance of Mimosaceae:

1. Acacia catechu serves as a host for the lac insects. From this plant Katha is also
obtained. Gum arabic is obtained from the barks of A. nilotica (syn. A. arabica)
and A. Senegal. Saresh- a type of gum - is obtained from Albizzia lebbek.
The flowers of A. decurrens var. dealbata yield a perfume.
The bark of Acacia yields tannin which is used in leather tanning.

2. The wood of Adenanthera pavonina is powdered and yields a red dye.

3. Prosopis spicigera is grown as a hedge plant and also as a wind breaker in

Rajasthan to check spreading desert, acts as water indicator.

4. Durable timber is obtained from Acacia melanoxylon, Lysistoma sabicu, Xylia

dolabriformis (Iron wood).