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Family:

Cleomaceae (Magnoliophyta)

Primary Citation:

Sp. Pl. 2: 672. 1753

Common Names:

Asian spiderflower

Description:

Author: Xavier Cornejo

Description: Unarmed annual herbs, 0.3-1.6 m tall, ± densely glandular pubescent throughout. Stipules present. Leaves 3- to 5-foliolate; petioles 1-6 cm long; petiolules 2-3 mm long; leaflets oblanceolate-elliptic, the central (0.6-) 2-6 x 0.5-3 cm, the base attenuate to cuneate, the apex usually acute to obtuse, the margin entire and glandular ciliate. Inflorescences solitary, a few flowers in axils of upper leaves; pedicels 8-23 mm long. Flowers: sepals narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate-elliptic or lanceolate, 5-10 x 1-4 mm; petals obovate to spathulate, 7-14 x 3-5 mm, pale to bright-yellow or orange-yellow, the base attenuate, the apex rounded; disk obsolete; stamens (10-)16-26 (or more?), included, the filaments 5-8 mm long, 4 to 10 of the adaxial ones shorter and slightly clavate; ovary linear-cylindric, sessile, densely glandular, the style ca. 1 mm long, the stigma capitate. Fruits siliques, strongly ascending or erect, linear-cylindric, 3-10 cm x 2-4 mm, glandular pubescent or scaberulous, the valves strongly longitudinally veined and dull without, smooth and vernicose within. Seeds suborbicular or obovoid, 1.3-1.8 x 1.2-1.7 mm, dark reddish-brown.

Common names: Not recorded.

Distribution: This species is a common pantropical weed most likely native to tropical Asia. It has also been collected in the Galapagos Islands (Iltis, 1960, 1999).

Ecology: In dry forests, roadsides, waste grounds, cultivate fields, sandy and rocky seashores (Al-Shehbaz, 1988). On the Osa Peninsula, the leaves of this species are predated by caterpillars of Ascia monuste (Lepidoptera, see photo from Aguilar 10860).

Phenology: Not recorded.

Pollination: The flowers of this species are visited by black bees (see photo below, from Aguilar 10860), but it is still unknown if they are the pollinators.

Dispersal: Not recorded, but birds may eat and disperse the seeds.

Taxonomic notes: The type of Cleome viscosa was selected from the Linnaean herbarium (LINN 850.11) by Iltis (1960). However, this species was originally based on a Hermann's specimen collected from Ceylon (at BM) and it should be considered the type (Al-Shehbaz, 1988).

Conservation: Least Concern (LC).

Uses: Not recorded.

Etymology: The epithet of this species refers to the viscid secretions from the glandular trichomes.

Flora and Monograph Treatment(s):

Cleome viscosa L.: [Article] Acevedo-Rodríguez, Pedro & collaborators. 1996. Flora of St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 78: 1-581.