Cleomaceae
Cleome

Cleome spinosa Jacq.

First published in Enum. Syst. Pl.: 26 (1760)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is S. Mexico to Tropical America. It is an annual and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used as a poison and a medicine, has environmental uses and for food.

Descriptions

Capparidaceae, Hutchinson and Dalziel. Flora of West Tropical Africa 1:1. 1954

Morphology General Habit
Much-branched erect herb, up to 3–5 ft.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers white to pink.
[FWTA]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Caribbean, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–1800 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Atlántico, Bolívar, Casanare, Cesar, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Nariño, Quindío, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca.
Habit
Herb, Shrub.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.
[UPFC]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Vernacular
CAT’S WHISKERS
Morphology General Habit
A coarse, erect herb up to 1 m tall or more, usually glandular-puberulous throughout, the stems armed with pairs of sharp, yellowish stipular spines
Morphology Leaves
Leaves palmately (3–)5–7- foliolate, the leaflets 2–9 cm long; petioles 2–11 cm long, usually armed with prickles. Flowers in terminal racemes, each pedicel subtended by a large sessile oval bract; sepals linear, 4–5 mm long; petals white or light purple, long-clawed. Stamens 6, crimson, long- exserted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynophore
Gynophore much longer than the pedicel, the ovary glandular, 7–8 mm long, with sessile stigma
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule linear-cylindrical, 5–12 cm long, glabrous or puberulous; seeds nearly 2 mm in diameter, almost smooth.
Distribution
Cayman Brac. West Indies and continental tropical and subtropical America.
Ecology
Usually a roadside or pasture weed, sometimes cultivated for ornament.
[Cayman]

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: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
arañagato, barba de chivo, barba de sapo, cabello de ángel, cabellos de ángel, centella, desbaratabaile, desdicha, flor de muerto, flor del diablo, garcita, jazmín del río, mismia, pitopito, rompepollera
[UNAL]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 1800 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Islas Caribeñas, Llanura del Caribe, Pacífico, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba, arbusto
Conservation
Preocupación Menor
[CPLC]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
Use Poisons
Poisons.
[UPFC]

Common Names

english
spider flower

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

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

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

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

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    • ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    • Flora of West Tropical Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 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 2026. 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 Living Collection Database

    • Common Names from Kew's Living Collection Database

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. 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

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

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