FAMILY OF THE WEEK : MIMOSEAE

Parkia biglandulosa

Albizzia procera (किनई )

Adenanthera pavonina

e saman

Acacia nilotica

Acacia auriculaeformis

Adenanthera pavonina

Albizzia lebbek

Mimosa hamata

Albizzia chinensis

Dichrostachys cinerea

FAMILY OF THE WEEK : MIMOSEAE
Bentham and Hooker divided the Leguminosae into three subfamilies : Papilionaceae,Caesalpinieae and mimoseae.Most of the recent taxonomist treat them as three distinct families.

MIMOSEAE : There are about 56 genera and2800 species widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions but they are abundant in southern hemisphere. In India this family is represented by 15 genera and 72 species mostly in tropical and subtropical Himalayas and western Peninsular India.

Vegetative characters :

They are mostly trees and shrubs and rarely herbs(Neptunia) or woody climbers, climbing with the help of leaf tendrils (Entada)

The stems of climbing species show anomalous growth in thickness and they become winged. Tannin sacs and gum passages are common in pith and medullary rays.

The leaves are usually alternat and bipinnate or rarely simply pinnate as in Inga. The stipules are present and in some species of Acacia they are modified into thorns. In many species of Australian acacia the leaves are represented by simple green phyllodes. The leaves of Mimosa and Neptunia are sensitive to touch and assume a sleep position.

Inflorescence and flowers:

The minute flowers are generally in dense globose headsbut sometimes they are spikate or racemose(Prosopis and some Acacias). In dicrostachys the spikes are dimorphic.

The flowers are actinomorphic, bisexual or rarely unisexual or polygamous, mostly pentamerous and hypogynous.

The calyx is composed of usually five sepals which are united into a short tube. the corolla is also usually of five petals.

The number and cohesion of stamens show much variation.Generally they are numerous. The Gynoecium is of single carpel. The ovary is superior and unilocular with usually several ovules along the ventral suture. The style and stigma are one.

Fruits and seeds :

The fruit is legume or indehiscent.In several species of Acacia the fruit is lomentum. It is constricted between the seeds and breaks into one seeded segments. The seeds are with scanty endosperm.

Pollination and seed dispersal :

The flowers are pollinated by insects which are attracted by long exerted and beautifully coloured stamens. The seeds are dispersed by wind, birds or animals.

Examples :

Mimosa pudica (Sensitive plant)Lajalu

Mimosa hamata

Acacia nilotica,(Babhul) Acacia melanoxylon, Acacia auriculaeformis, Acacia concinna, Acaciacatechu, Acacia ferruginea, Acacia leucophloea

Albizzia lebbek, Albizzia procera, Albizziaodoratissima,Albizzia amara, Albizzia chinensis,

Pithecolobium dulce

Dichrostachys cinerea(Sigamkathi)

Prosopis juliflora

Xylia xylocarpa
Adenanthera pavonina(Ratangunj)