Mimosa ophthalmocentra

Mimosa ophthalmocentra
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Mimosoideae
Genus:	Mimosa
Species:	M. ophthalmocentra
Binomial name
Mimosa ophthalmocentra Mart. ex Benth., 1875[1]

Mimosa ophthalmocentra, Jurema-embira ("Red Jurema") is a tree in the Fabaceae family. It is native to Brazil.^[1] It is shrub or small tree about 3 to 5 m tall.^[2][3] Its blossoms come in long, narrow cylindrical spikes having yellowish white petals and a white stamen.^[3] The blossoms are sometimes found to have a pink tinge.^[4] The fruit is green, sometimes with red or purple, flat, about 8 cm long and about 1 cm wide.^[4]

The trunk grows to about 20 cm in diameter.^[2]

Its wood has a density of about 1.12 g/cm³^[5] and it makes good firewood.^[6]

Traditional use

Traditionally in northeast Brazil, for cases of cough and bronchitis, a water extract (decoction) of Mimosa ophthalmocentra is made into a drink.^[7] A handful of bark in one liter of water is used by itself or in a syrup.^[7] The solution is taken until the symptoms subside.^[7][8]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} "Mimosa ophthalmocentra information from NPGS/GRIN". www.ars-grin.gov. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?436943. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "MORI 14225". mobot.mobot.org. http://mobot.mobot.org/cgi-bin/search_vast?ssdp=02919285. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "SysTax - detailed information on Mimosa ophthalmocentra Mart.". www.biologie.uni-ulm.de. http://www.biologie.uni-ulm.de/cgi-bin/query_all/details.pl?id=42453&stufe=A&typ=PFL. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "HERINGER 11963". mobot.mobot.org. http://mobot.mobot.org/cgi-bin/search_vast?ssdp=02915869. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
5. ^ "Kew: Northeast Brazil Fuelwood Project - activities and progress". www.kew.org. http://www.kew.org/scihort/tropamerica/fuelwoodprojects.htm. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
6. ^ "Fuelwoods: Structure and Sustainability - Kew: Science Directory: Projects". www.kew.org. http://www.kew.org/science/directory/projects/FuelwoodsGeneral.html. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 
7. ^ ^{a b c} Maria de Fátima Agra, Patrícia França de Freitas, José Maria Barbosa-Filho (2007). "Synopsis of the plants known as medicinal and poisonous in Northeast of Brazil". Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy 17 (1): 114–140. http://66.102.1.104/scholar?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&q=cache:eKF_BsM_PxcJ:www.artigocientifico.com.br/uploads/artc_1180581455_38.pdf+medicinal+use+of+%22mimosa+tenuiflora%22. 
8. ^ "Translated version of http://209.85.171.104/search?q=cache:x390ybNrGkAJ:www.ppgecologia.biologia.ufrj.br/oecologia/index.php/oecologiabrasiliensis/article/view/147/113&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6". translate.google.com. http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&langpair=pt%7Cen&u=http://209.85.171.104/search%3Fq%3Dcache:x390ybNrGkAJ:www.ppgecologia.biologia.ufrj.br/oecologia/index.php/oecologiabrasiliensis/article/view/147/113%26hl%3Den%26ct%3Dclnk%26cd%3D6&prev=/translate_s%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3D%2522Mimosa%2Bophthalmocentra%2522%2Bseeds%26sl%3Den%26tl%3Dpt. Retrieved 2008-05-05. 

External links

• Microscope slide of Mimosa ophthalmocentra wood sample (www.kew.org)
• Mimosa ophthalmocentra herbarium specimen (NY Botanical Gardens)