Cleome viscosa, the Asian spiderflower
The crushed leaves have been investigated as a treatment for stored seeds of cowpea, to prevent weevil infestation.
The leaves are used as external application to wounds and ulcers. The seeds are anthelmintic and carminative. The juice of the leaves is used as a remedy against discharge of pus from the ear. In a study comparing C. viscosa to standard antibiotics, it was proven to be effective at inhibiting microbial growth. This demonstrates its effectiveness as an antimicrobial agent in comparison to the antibiotic tetracycline.
In northern India, the seeds (called Jakhya) are used as a culinary herb, mainly for tempering. in Australia, the Walmadjari of the southern Kimberley call it Jirlpirringarni.
Description
Plants (10–)30–100(–160) cm. Stems viscid. Leaves: petiole 1.5–4.5(–8) cm, glandular-hirsute; leaflet blade ovate to oblanceolate-elliptic, (0.6–)2–6 × 0.5–3.5 cm, margins entire and glandular-ciliate, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces glandular-hirsute. Racemes 5–10 cm (10–15 cm in fruit); bracts (often deciduous), trifoliate, 10–25 mm, glandular-hirsute. Pedicels 6–30 mm, glandular-hirsute. Flowers: sepals green, lanceolate, 5–10 × 0.8–1.2 mm, glandular-hirsute; petals arranged in adaxial semicircle before anthesis, radially arranged at anthesis, bright yellow, sometimes purple basally, oblong to ovate, 7–14 × 3–4 mm; stamens dimorphic, 4–10 adaxial ones much shorter with swelling proximal to anthers, green, 5–9 mm; anthers 1.4–3 mm; ovary 6–10 mm, densely glandular; style 1–1.2 mm. Capsules dehiscing only partway from apex to base, 30–100 × 2–4 mm, glandular-hirsute. Seeds light brown, 1.2–1.8 × 1–1.2 mm, finely ridged transversely. 2n = 20.
Phenology
June–August (summer)
Taxonomy
The species was first described as
Cleome viscosa in 1753 by
Carl Linnaeus This name is not accepted by the Western Australian Herbarium.
In Western Australia the accepted name is
Arivela viscosa (L.) Raf.,
the name given to it in 1838 by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque
for the phylogenetic reasons given by Russell Barrett and others in 2017.
Gallery
Cleome viscosa.jpg| Cleome viscosa
File:Cleome viscosa lab.jpg|Leaf of Cleome viscosa
File:Cleome viscosa l.jpg|Flower buds and Fruits of Cleome viscosa
File:Cleome viscosa la.jpg|Flower of Cleome viscosa
File:Cleome viscosa L. (AM AK302073-13).jpg|Flower of Cleome viscosa
File:Cleome viscosa bd.jpg|Seeds of Cleome viscosa
External links
