SafePlants

Chamaecrista nictitans: Sensitive Partridge Pea

Chamaecrista nictitans, also known as sensitive cassia, sensitive partridge pea, small partridge pea, or wild sensitive plant, is a herbaceous legume species. This plant is noted for its leaves' sensitivity to touch, a characteristic shared with its relative, Chamaecrista fasciculata.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant's leaves are sensitive and fold when touched.
• Several common names refer to "sleeping plant."

Considerations for Children

• The plant's leaves are sensitive and fold when touched.
• Several common names refer to "sleeping plant."

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Chamaecrista nictitans
• Common Names: Sensitive cassia, sensitive partridge pea, small partridge pea, wild sensitive plant, sensitive plant, partridge pea.
• Family: Fabaceae (Pea Family)
• Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
• Kingdom: Plantae
• Taxonomic Rank: Subspecies
• Synonym: Cassia nictitans

Distribution and Habitat

Chamaecrista sp. is native to North America. A specimen was collected in 1786 from a damp ditch in Jamaica.

Morphology and Growth

• It is a slender-stemmed annual, typically growing up to 1 foot tall.
• Leaves are pinnately compound with numerous leaflets. Each compound leaf may have up to 20 leaflets.
• The leaflets are sensitive to touch and will fold together when disturbed.
• It is described as low-growing with yellow flowers and pinnately-divided leaves.
• Stems are erect, slender, glabrous to minutely pubescent, and usually branched with ascending to widely spreading branches.

Ecological Role

• Nitrogen-fixing annuals, useful for rebuilding soil.
• Seeds provide food for quail, prairie chickens, pheasants, ducks, and other grassland birds.
• Nectar is utilized by various insects.

Quirky Facts

• The leaves are also sensitive to light and close completely at night.

Further Information

• Dave's Garden
• Wikimedia Commons