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Common Name: African Spider Flower

General Information

Cleome gynandra is an annual plant that can grow up to 1.30 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine..

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Tropical and Sub-Tropical zones.

Habitat

Open areas and uncultivated land to an elevation of 300 metres in Nepal[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	1.30 m
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a light fertile soil in a warm dry sunny position with plenty of room to spread[, ].
A frost tender plant, it can be grown as a summer annual in Britain[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A decoction of the root is used to treat fevers[, ]. The juice of the root is used to relieve scorpion stings[].
The leaves, applied as a poultice, are used as a vesicant and rubefacient in the treatment of rheumatism[, ]. The juice of the leaves is a remedy for pain in the ear[].
The seeds are anthelmintic and rubefacient[, ].
The whole plant is used in the treatment of scorpion stings and snake bites[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - surface sow or only lightly cover the seed in spring in a greenhouse[]. The seed usually germinates in 5 - 14 days at 25°c[]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring. Day time temperatures below 20°c depress germination but a night time fall to 20° is necessary[].