mimosa

Any of a group of leguminous trees, shrubs, or herbs belonging to the mimosa family, found in tropical and subtropical regions. They all have small, fluffy, golden, ball-like flowers. A similar but unrelated plant, Acacia dealbata, is sold as mimosa by European florists. (True mimosa genus Mimosa, family Mimosaceae.)

Certain species, such as the sensitive plant of Brazil M. pudica, shrink momentarily on being touched.

Mimosa

Second-brightest star in the southern-hemisphere constellation of Crux, marking one of the four corners of the Southern Cross, and the 19th-brightest star in the night sky. It is a blue-white giant star of magnitude 0.8 around 460 light years from the Sun.