Pretty lady, Spider flower, Sticky purple cleome
Cleome hirta

Family: Cleomaceae

What it is like

A small herb. It grows 1 m high. The branches have lines along them. They are hairy. The leaves have 5-9 small leaflets. It is sticky to the touch. The leaflets are 1-5 cm long by 0.1-0.5 cm wide. They are narrow and sword shaped. They are wedge shaped at the base. The flower are at the top. The petals are pink or purple. The fruit is a capsule 16 cm long by 0.4 cm wide. The seeds are about 2 mm across.

There are about 150 Cleome species. It has also been put in the family Capparaceae and Brassicaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in the lowlands. It grows in the grassy savannah and swamps in West Africa. It is in lower rainfall areas. It grows in areas with a rainfall between 150-750 mm per year. It grows from sea level to 1,800 m above sea level. It needs well-drained soils. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Angola, Botswana, Central Africa, Congo, East Africa, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The leaves are eaten cooked. They are collected, wilted, chopped and boiled and mixed with other vegetables.

It is a minor vegetable. It is of moderate palatability.

Edible parts

Leaves, seeds, vegetable

How it is grown

It can be grown from seeds.

The young shoots are collected during the early rains.

Its other names

Local names

Akayobyo akasajja, Bastard mustard, Cetandambudo, Kabangaseshe, Kabangasheshe, Kakunguni, Kekeneka, Malomaarotho, Mhilile, Mhilili, Musambe, Natserume, Nyausako, Nyiragasogereza, Sau

Synonyms

Cleome bechuanensis Bremek. & Oberm.; Cleome pulcherrima Busc. & Muschl.; Decastemon hirtus Klotzsch; Polanisia hirta (Klotzsch) Pax.;