Cleomaceae
Cleome

Cleome densifolia C.H.Wright

First published in Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1907: 360 (1907)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Malawi (Mt. Mulanje). It is a shrub and grows primarily in the subtropical biome.

Descriptions

Capparidaceae, H. Wild. Flora Zambesiaca 1:1. 1960

Morphology General Habit
Shrubby, branching, viscid perennial 1–2 m. tall; branches striate, straw-coloured with dark, purplish, long hairs interspersed with short, paler, glandular hairs.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves petiolate with a pubescence similar to that of the branches; lamina 1.5–5 x 0.7–2.0 cm., oblong-elliptic to narrowly ovate, acute at the apex, rounded or slightly cordate at the base, entire, with both long hairs and short glandular hairs on both surfaces with the longer hairs tending to be confined to the nerves of the underside; petiole up to 1 cm. long; the upper leaves progressively smaller, more nearly sessile and grading into bracts each subtending a single flower of the terminal racemes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Raceme dense at first but internodes elongating in fruit; pedicels slender, purplish, glandular-pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals c. 7 mm. long, linear-lanceolate, acuminate at the apex with a gland at the tip, glandular-pubescent outside.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 0.7–1.2 x 0.3 cm., pink with the two upper having a cordate, purple-margined spot, narrowly obovate, rounded at the apex, narrowed into a basal claw c. ^ the length of the lamina.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 6, all fertile; filaments slightly wider at the base, attenuated towards the apex, slightly shorter than the petals; anther-thecae c. 2.5 mm. long, oblong.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary linear, subsessile, narrowing into a short purplish style glandular-pubescent at its base; gynophore increasing rapidly after anthesis to about 2.5 mm. in length and the style to about 7 mm.; stigma hardly wider than the style.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule up to 3.5 x 0.3 cm., spindle-shaped, with about 8 longitudinal anastomosing nerves on each valve, with longer purple hairs and shorter glandular hairs; style persistent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds brown, not ridged, about 2.2 mm. in diam., the cells of the testa arranged longitudinally.
[FZ]

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: threatened. Confidence: low confidence
[AERP]

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0