Question

The binomial nomenclature of the touch-me-not plant is
A. Solanum nigrum
B. Aegle marmelos
C. Mimosa pudica
D. Acalypha india

Answer 1

The touch-me-not plant is commonly called a shame plant or sensitive plant. The leaves of this plant fold inwards when they sense tactile touch. These are found in South and Central America but now also India. It is planted for amusement.

Complete answer: Touch-me-not is scientifically known as Mimosa pudica. The Latin term ‘Mimos’ means to act or to mime and ‘pudica’ means shy. Mimosa stands for the genus name of the shame plant and the pudica stands for the species name. The touch-me-not plant grows as a small shrub having thorny stems. The leaves of the plant are very sensitive to touch and get folded when they sense tactile sensation. The folding of leaves is a safety mechanism of the plant. The reaction to touch is a good example of the action potential which leads to rapid response. The plant protects itself from predators and external dangers by this mechanism. Also, the leaves close by themselves in the evening and night and open up again in the morning. Mimosa pudica has various antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Rhizoids of this plant produce carbon disulfide which inhibits the growth of various microorganisms. These plants have the ability to convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form used by plants. This is possible due to inoculation of root nodules of the plant by nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Therefore, option C is the correct answer.

Note: The touch-me-not plant has pale pink or purple flowers. It is also used in phytoremediation techniques. Phytoremediation is a technique that uses living organisms to clean harmful pollutants. Mimosa pudica is able to clean arsenic from the soil and thus, it is used for phytoremediation near mines.