Shyleaf

Annual, Herbs, Taproot present, Nodules present, Stems erect or ascending, Stems less than 1 m tall, Stems 1-2 m tall, Stems solid, Stems or young twigs sparsely to densely hairy, Stem hairs hispid to villous, Stems hairs pilose or spreading, Leaves alternate, Leaves petiolate, Stipules conspicuous, Stipules green, triangulate to lanceolate or foliaceous, Stipules persistent, Sti pules free, Stipules connate to each other, forming a tuber or sheath, Stipules cordate, lobed, or sagittate, Leaves compound, Leaves even pinnate, Leaf or leaflet margins entire, Leaflets alternate or subopposite, Leaflets 10-many, Leaves viscid, sticky, Leaves glabrous or nearly so, Flowers in axillary clusters or few-floweredracemes, 2-6 flowers, Inflorescences racemes, Inflorescence axillary, Bracts very small, absent or caducous, Flowers zygomorphic, Calyx 5-lobed, Calyx 2-lipped or 2-lobed, Petals separate, Corolla papilionaceous, Petals clawed, Petals orange or yellow, Petals bicolored or with red, purple or yellow streaks or spots, Banner petal suborbicular, broadly rounded, Wing petals narrow, oblanceolate to oblong, Wing tips obtuse or rounded, Keel abruptly curved, or spirally coiled, Keel petals fused on sides or at tip, Stamens 9-10, Stamens monadelphous, united below, Filaments glabrous, Style terete, Fruit a loment, jointed, separating into articles, Fruit sti pitate, Fruit unilocular, Fruit indehiscent, Fruit elongate, straight, Fruit rugose wrinkled or reticulate, Fruit exserted from calyx, Fruit compressed between seeds, Fruit glabrous or glabrate, Fruit 3-10 seeded, Seeds reniform, Seed surface smooth, Seeds olive, brown, or black.

Aeschynomene americana is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae (legume) known by many common names, including shyleaf, forage aeschynomene, American joint vetch (United States and Australia), thornless mimosa (Sri Lanka), bastard sensitive plant (Jamaica), pega pega, pega ropa, antejuela, ronte, cujicillo, and dormilonga (Latin America). It is native to Central America, parts of South America, the West Indies, and Florida. It is now found in the US, in Australia and in South-East Asia.

This plant is an annual or perennial herb growing up to 2 meters tall. The leaves are up to 7 centimeters long and have several pairs of linear to oblong leaflets. The sensitive leaves fold up when touched. The inflorescence is a raceme of flowers each up to a centimeter long. The flowers range in color from white to pinkish, orange, or purplish. The fruit is a curved legume pod up to 4 centimeters long made up of several jointed units, each unit containing a seed.

This species is widely used as a green manure or pasture plant throughout the tropical world. It is grazed by livestock and may be cut for hay. Cattle readily eat the plant and spread the seeds on their coats and in manure. Available cultivars include 'Glenn'.

In the wild it is generally a wetland plant, easily taking hold in wet places such as drainage ditches. It is grazed by deers, and the seeds are eaten by wild birds.