Cat’s Claw, Sensitive Briar, Nuttall’s Sensitive Briar

NOTE: When I was making updates on 12-18-23, it appears the scientific name has changed back to Mimosa nuttallii… Hmmm… 

Mimosa nuttallii

mim-MOH-suh  nut-AL-ee-eye

SYN.

Mimosa quadrivalvis var. nuttallii

mim-MOH-suh  kwad-rih-VAL-is  nut-AL-ee-eye

Synonyms of Mimosa nuttallii (5) (Updated on 12-18-23 from Plants of the World Online): Leptoglottis mimosoides Small (1928), Leptoglottis nuttallii Raspail (1827), Mimosa quadrivalvis var. nuttallii (Raspail) Beard ex Barneby (1991), Schrankia mimosoides (Small) Standl. (1936), Schrankia nuttallii (Raspail) Standl. (1930)

Mimosa nuttallii (DC. ex Torr. & A.Gray) B.L.Turner seems to be the accepted scientific name for this species of Mimosa AGAIN. It was named and described as such by Billie Lee Turner in Phytologia in 1994. 

Now a synonym… Mimosa quadrivalvis var. nuttallii (DC. ex. Torr. & A.Gray) Beard ex Barneby is the accepted infraspecific species name for the plant represented on this page. It was described as such by Rupert Charles Barneby in Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden in 1991. He gives credit to John Stanley Beard for first naming the species. It was first named Leptoglottis nuttallii by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in Mémoires sur la famille des Légumineuses in 1827 (nom. inval.). The name wasn’t validly published until 1840 in Flora of North America by John Torrey and Asa Gray (Leptoglottis nuttallii DC. ex Torr. & A.Gray, Fl. N. Amer. (Torr. & A.Gray) 1(4): 696 (1840)). However, they mention the plant having white flowers…

Mimosa quadrivalvis L. is still listed as an accepted scientific name of Mimosa. The genus AND species were first named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

The Missouri Plants website says plants found in Missouri are assigned to this variety.

As of 12-18-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 604 species in the Mimosa genus. It is a member of the plant family Fabaceae with 393 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

The above distribution map for Mimosa nuttallii is from the USDA Plants Database. The map on Plants of the World Online for this species is about the same.

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A POSITIVE ID.

I was driving on a back road I frequently travel on June 24 in 2022, and I stopped at this particular curve to check on a species I had previously identified when I noticed this cluster of pink flowers I hadn’t seen before. I looked at the leaves and the leaves folded up when I touched them. AH HA!!! I finally found the plant I hadn’t seen since I was a kid! When I am out wildflower hunting on the farm, I always touch the leaves of plants with leaves like this. Not until June 24 did any fold up. It was an exciting moment for sure! My grandparents had a good-sized Mimosa tree in their yard and that’s what these leaves always reminded me of. Of course, there are several locust trees with similar leaves as well.

Of course, I took a lot of photos to submit to iNaturalist and their first suggestion was Mimosa nuttallii. I then checked with the Missouri Plants website as a cross-reference. Missouri Plants said the name was Mimosa quadrivalis and the plants found in Missouri are assigned to the variety name var. nuttallii… SO, from there I went to Plants of the World Online which said Mimosa nuttallii was a synonym of Mimosa quadrivalis var. nuttallii. I usually don’t write new pages until winter comes and I can’t get outside much. When I was writing this page on December 23-24, I noticed the basionym author’s name was whacky compared to Tropicos (Missouri Botanical Garden database). I did some research and found several errors (or they have a different opinion). When these organizations are short-staffed and work is piled up, I think they get in a hurry… Anyway, they can use whatever names (and authors’ names) they choose as long as it was validly published. After all, scientific names aren’t necessarily correct, they are accepted… Hmmm…

Then, while I was making updates for this page on 12-18-23, I found out Plants of the World Online listed Mimosa quadrivalis var. nuttallii was now a synonym of Mimosa nuttallii. GEEZ! Then I had to change the captions with the photos. I decided not to change the name in the photo’s folder (already did that once) and re-upload them. You never know when the accepted species names will change AGAIN… I am not going to hold my breath either.

I wanted to get this page published along with the photos but I will come back later and write descriptions. This is a winter project and I kind of dread writing descriptions in my own words. It takes a lot of time and then I want to take a nap. There are several links at the bottom of the page that have really good “technical” descriptions.

The stems are really thorny…

As you can see from the above photo, the leaves fold up…

I live on the family farm in Windsor, Missouri in Pettis County (Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away). I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be variable from location to location, so that can be a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and provide much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

The websites below may be for Mimosa quadrivalis, Mimosa nuttallii, or Mimosa quadrivalvis var. nuttallii.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE
(GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX
(GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES/VAR.)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/VAR.)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE
(GENUS/SPECIES/VAR.)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS/SPECIES)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
iNATURALIST
MISSOURI PLANTS
MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN
MISSOURI CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
(M. nuttallii/M. quadrivalis)
ARKANSAS NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY
DAVE’S GARDEN
KANSAS WILDFLOWERS AND GRASSES
OZARKEDGEWILDFLOWERS.COM

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and even many thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and it can be hard to keep with as well. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂