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CLASSIFICATION

ORDER	: Brassicales
FAMILY	: Cleomaceae
GENUS	: Cleome L.
SPECIES	: viscosa L.
BOTANICAL NAME	: Cleome viscoma L.
SYNONYMS	: Arivela viscosa (L.) Raf.
COMMON NAME	: Asian spider flower.
TAMIL NAME	: Naikkaduku.
HINDI NAME	: Bagra.

PLANT DESCRIPTION

HABIT :  An annual erect herb having tap root system.

STEM :  Erect, well branched, herbaceous, green, solid and pubescent.

LEAVES :  Ramal and cauline, alternate, exstipulate, palmately compound, tri- to pentafoliate,petiolate but pinnae are sessile, ovate-lanceolate, hiry, acute, multicostate reticulate venation.

INFLORESCENCE :  Racemose raceme.

FLOWERS :  Bracteate, pedicellate, complete, hermaphrodite, actinomorphic, tetramerous, hypogynous, generally yellow coloured with very long pedicel. Calyx composed of 4 sepals, polysepalous, valvate, sepals arranged in two whorls of two each. Corolla composed of 4 petals, polypetalous, clawed, imbricate, yellow coloured. Androecium made up of many stamens (12-24), polyandrous, dithecous, basifixed, introrse, filament long and anther lobes curved. Gynoecium bicarpellary, syncarpous, superior, single locule with many ovules, parietal placentation, gynophore is present but very short, style short, stigma sticky and capitate.

FRUIT :  A capsule

FLOWERING AND FRUITING TIME :  July-October

MEDICINAL USES

Cleome viscosa L. (Cleomaceae) is an important traditional medicine of the Indian-Ayurvedic and Chinese-medicine system documented for rheumatic arthritis, hypertension, malaria, neurasthenia, and wound healing.

The plant is also known as Asian spider flower and is distributed throughout the greater part of India.

Spider flower is considered a medicinal plant. Its leaves can be dried and used to make a tea that prevents scurvy

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