Cleome gynandra L.
Family
Capparaceae
Synonyms
Cleome pentaphylla L., Gynandropsis pentaphylla (L.) DC., G. gynandra (L.) Briq.
Vernacular Names
|
Malaysia |
Mamang. |
|
English |
Bastard mustard, cat’s whiskers, spider flower. |
|
Indonesia |
Maman(g), enceng-enceng (Java), bhubhuwan (Madura). |
|
Philippines |
Apoy-apoyan (Tagalog), manabo (Ilocano), balaya (Bisaya). |
|
Cambodia |
Momiënh. |
|
Laos |
Siènz. |
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Thailand |
Phak sian, phak sian khao (Central), phak som sian (Northern). |
|
Vietnam |
M[af]n m[af]n tr[aws]ng. |
Geographical Distributions
Cleome gynandra is considered native to Asia, but is widely distributed as a weed in the Old World tropics and has also been introduced into tropical America. It has been brought into cultivation in Asia and Africa, but is only of local importance.
Description
Cleome gynandra is an erect annual herb that can grow up to 1 m tall. The stem is usually widely branched and densely covered with glandular hairs.
The leaves are arranged alternate, normally palmately compound, with 5 leaflets with the lowest and upper leaves having 3 leaflets, while the smaller ones towards and in the inflorescence. The petiole is 2-10 cm long while the petiolules are 1-3 mm. The leaflets are obovate to lance-shaped, measuring 2-7.5 cm x 1-3.5 cm and narrowly wedge-shaped at the base, obtuse to short-acuminate at apex, ciliate to denticulate and thinly herbaceous.
The inflorescence is an elongated, terminal, leafy and few-to many-flowered raceme. The flowers are white or tinged with purple. The pedicel is 1.5-2.5 cm long. The 4 free sepals are ovate to lance-shaped and measuring 2.5-6 mm x 0.5-2 mm. There are 4 petals which are elliptical to obovate, measuring 7-15 mm x 1.5-4 mm and with slender claw 1.5-5 mm long. The androgynophore is 9-16 mm. There are 6 stamens and purple anthers. The ovary is on a slender stalk (gynophore) which is 1-2 mm long in flower and accrescent to 10 mm in fruit.
The fruit is a long, narrow and cylindrical capsule, measuring 2-11 cm x 3-6 mm. It is on a pedicel 1-3 cm long and with a beak 1-4 mm long that splits from below into 2 valves.
The seeds are numerous, depressed-globular, measure about 1 mm in diametre, dark brown, with a shallow and narrow cleft and irregularly ribbed.
Ecology / Cultivation
Cleome gynandra is a common weed along roadsides, on dikes of rice fields, and sandy borders of rivers. It occurs from the lowlands up to 500 m and flowers and fruits year-round. It grows best in full sunlight and rich soils where there is plenty of room to spread. C. gynandra has a C4-cycle photosynthetic pathway, which exhibits high photosynthesis at high temperature and radiation. It is rather drought-resistant and sensitive to waterlogging.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
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Plant Resources of South-East Asia No. 8: Vegetables.