Mimosa tenuiflora
StarMimosa tenuiflora
Synonyms: Mimosa cabrera, Mimosa hostilis, Mimosa apodocarpa var. hostilis, Acacia hostilis, Acacia tenuiflora, Mimosa nigra, Mimosa limana, Acacia jurema
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Mexican and Brazilian folk medicine the powdered or decocted bark of Mimosa tenuiflora (tepezcohuite, jurema preta) is a celebrated wound and burn remedy, applied to cuts, burns, ulcers and other skin lesions to stop bleeding, prevent infection and accelerate regeneration of new tissue, an action attributed to its high tannin content (about 16%); for these properties it is widely known as the 'skin tree'. Aqueous bark extracts are used for wound healing across Central and South America, and the species is also a traditional entheogen (jurema) in northeastern Brazil (Healthline, 2023).
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Botanical Description
Mimosa tenuiflora, also known as Mimosa hostilis, tepezcohuite or jurema preta, is a spiny, deciduous tree or large shrub in the legume family (Fabaceae) native to northeastern Brazil and to Mexico and Central America. It commonly grows four to eight metres tall with a sparse, irregular crown and dark reddish-brown bark that yields a red sap, the source of its Nahuatl name meaning roughly tree that bleeds. The fern-like branches carry finely bipinnate leaves up to about 5 centimetres long, each composed of fifteen to thirty-three pairs of small bright green leaflets that fold at night. The branches and trunk bear numerous small, sharp, persistent spines. White, sweet-scented flowers are crowded into loose cylindrical spikes 4 to 8 centimetres long, followed by small, brittle, segmented pods that break into one-seeded units. A fast-growing pioneer of dry tropical scrub, it readily colonises disturbed ground.
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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