Cleome aspera - Rough Spider Flower

❏ Binomial Name : Cleome aspera J.Koenig ex DC.

❏ Synonym : Cleome diffusa, Cleome prostrata

❏ Family : Cleomaceae

❏ Common Name : Rough Spider Flower 

❏ Tamil Name : Malayvarinai Poondu

❏ Hindi Name : -

❏ IUCN status: Not Evaluated

Cleome aspera Botanical Description

Annual herbs, about 15-30 cm tall. Stem decumbent, pubescent with short compressed hooked soft prickles, branches slender, usually branched from the base. Leaves tri-foliate, uppermost leaves simple or uni-foliate, leaflets subsessile, , linear lanceolate to oblong, central leaflets larger than the lateral leaflets, margin entire, ciliate with tubercled based hairs, apex rounded, retuse, subobtuse with mucronate tip, lower most leaf with oblanceolate leaflets, petiole about 2-12 mm long, almost sessile in uppermost leaves. Inflorescence axillary leafy racemes. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, white to creamy yellow. pedicel filiform, slender, sepals 4, linear lanceolate, valvate, slightly connate at the base, apex obtuse, grandular pubescent, petals 4, distinctly clawed at base. Stamens 6, filament inserted on a discoid, purple, about 2.5 mm long, anthers linear. Ovary superior, bicarpellary, linear about 2-2.5 mm long, unilocular, ovules many on parietal 2 placentae, style slender about 1 mm long. Fruit capsule, dehiscent, linear oblong. Seeds 10-20, suborbicular or reniform, surface smooth, yellowish dark brown. Fl. & Fr.: Throughout the year.

Cleome aspera Medicinal uses

A spoonful of whole plant juice with half spoon of honey is administered twice a day for 2 days for used to treat fever.

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