Fabaceae

Shyleaf

Aeschynomene americana L.

Family: Fabaceae
Genus: Aeschynomene

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Shyleaf: Pantropical from the Neotropics. A sensitive plant known as Shyleaf, with stick-seeds. Photo from Bastimentos Island, Panama. In context at <a href=" http://www — Photo: Dick Culbert, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons

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Common names

By language (4)

Chinese: 敏感合萌, 美洲合萌
English: Shyleaf, American jointvetch
Japanese: エダウチクサネム
Malayalam: പൊന്ത്

Synonyms

Aeschynomene mimosula Miq.
Hippocrepis mimosula Noronha

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb, Subshrub
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Lower 48 states: native, Pacific Basin: introduced, Puerto Rico: native, U.S. Virgin Islands: introduced

Photos

Photo: Dick Culbert, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: FarEnd2018, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Dinesh Valke from Thane, India, CC BY-SA 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: M108t, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: M108t, CC BY 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Aeschynomene

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.