Mimosa

/mɪˈmoʊsə/ noun

Definition

A tropical plant with feathery leaves that curl up when touched, or a cocktail made with champagne and orange juice.

Etymology

From Latin 'mimosa,' possibly from Greek 'mimos' meaning 'mime' or 'actor,' because the plant's leaves seem to 'act' or respond to touch. The name references the plant's sensitive, responsive leaves.

Kelly Says

The mimosa plant has leaves that literally move when you touch them—it's one of the few plants that shows such obvious movement, which fascinated botanists so much that it became the subject of early studies about how plants sense their environment.

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