The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.

Common Name:

General Information

Cleome monophylla is an annual plant that can grow up to 0.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

S. Africa.

Habitat

A weed of fields and waste places[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.50 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

Leaves - cooked and used like spinach[]. The young shoots and flowers can also be used[].
The pungent seed is used as a mustard substitute[].

Medicinal

The pounded root is put on the lips to restore consciousness when in a faint[].

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[].