Cleome maculata

Family: Cleomaceae

What it is like

A small herb. It grows 30 cm high. It grows each year from seed. The stem is thin and light green with lines along them. The leaves are compound with 3-5 narrow leaflets. The leaflets are 4-5 cm long by about 1 mm wide. The flowers are in a loose group at the ends of the branches. The flowers are pink or red. The fruit is a narrow capsule.

Where it is found

It is a tropical and subtropical plant. It grows in sandy soil.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Botswana, East Africa, South Africa, Southern Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves are cooked and eaten.

Edible parts

Vegetable, leaves, stem, flowers

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Kanunubwi, Kasukuboa

Synonyms

Polanisia maculata Sond.; Tetratelia maculata (Sond.) Sond.;