Mimosa tenuiflora Seeds | Tepescohuite
LATIN NAME: Mimosa tenuiflora
COMMON NAME: Tepescohuite
Plant Profile
Mimosa tenuiflora is the tepescohuite of the Brazilian caatinga, a thorny tree whose bark is sold across the world for burns and skin. It grows in the dry scrub of northeastern Brazil, in Ceara, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraiba and Bahia, and in parts of Mexico and Central America, on stony, shallow soils where the rain comes in a short season and the rest of the year is hot and dry. The tree reaches four to eight metres, with a slender trunk, stiff branches armed with small thorns, and bipinnate leaves that fold at night and drop in the dry season. The flowers are small and white, in globular heads, and the fruit is a small pod with a few hard seeds. The bark is dark, rough and rich in tannins, and it is the part that is harvested, dried and ground into a pinkish powder. It is also the plant that gives the caatinga its scent after rain.
Science & Biotechnology
Mimosa tenuiflora is a legume of the mimosoid clade, and like many of its relatives it fixes nitrogen and nodules with soil bacteria, which makes it valuable on the poor soils of the caatinga. The root bark contains N,N-dimethyltryptamine, often at concentrations of around half a percent, and it has been used for centuries by indigenous peoples of northeastern Brazil in the preparation of a psychoactive drink, jurema. The compound is not active by mouth unless it is combined with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, and the traditional preparations vary in whether such a plant is included. The stem bark, which is what the cosmetic and medicinal trade uses, is rich in tannins and polysaccharides, and laboratory work has shown wound-healing and anti-inflammatory activity in cell and animal models, though clinical evidence is thin. The tree is a pioneer, colonising disturbed ground, and it resprouts after cutting and fire, which is why it persists in grazed scrub.
Uses & Benefits
The powdered bark is sold as tepescohuite for burns, wounds, acne and skin inflammation, and it is used in cosmetics and in soaps; the evidence for its effects is mostly preclinical. In Brazil it is applied as a paste to burns and taken internally for stomach ulcers, and it is one of the most widely used medicinal barks in the northeast. The wood is hard and is used for fencing, tool handles and fuel, and the tree is planted for shade in pastures and for reclamation of degraded land. The flowers are a source of nectar for bees, and the pods are browsed by livestock. The root bark is used in ritual contexts and should not be confused with the stem bark of the commercial trade, since the chemistry is different. For a dry garden it is a thorny, fast-growing tree for a boundary or a shelterbelt, if the climate is frost-free.
Growing from Seed
Scarify the seed with hot water and soak overnight, then sow one centimetre deep in a sandy mix at 25 to 30 degrees; germination is fast and usually high. The seedling develops a taproot quickly, so use a deep tube and plant out young. Choose a site in full sun with well-drained soil, and water through the first dry season only. The tree tolerates drought, poor soil and grazing, and it resprouts after cutting, so it can be managed as a hedge or a coppice. It is tender below about minus two, so in cool climates it needs a conservatory. Prune to a single trunk if a tree is wanted, and cut back hard if it becomes leggy. Wear gloves: the thorns are small and numerous, and the bark stains.
Our Take
A thorny caatinga tree whose bark is a global skin remedy and whose root bark is something else entirely. Hot, dry, and fast.
Related Reading
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