Tickweed, Asian spiderflower

Cleome viscosa

Physical Characteristics

Cleome viscosa is a ANNUAL growing to 1.5 m (5ft). It is frost tender. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Distribution

Pantropical.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves Oil Shoots Edible Uses: Condiment Oil Leaves and young shoots - cooked as a vegetable[272]. A sharp mustard-like flavour[183]. The pungent seed can be pickled or used as a mustard substitute in curries[183, 272]. The seedpods are made into pickles[183]. The juice of the plant is used as a condiment[183]. An oil obtained from the seeds is used for cooking[272].

Medicinal Uses

Anthelmintic Carminative Diaphoretic Rubefacient Stimulant The leaves are diaphoretic, rubefacient and vesicant[240]. They are used as an external application to wounds and ulcers[240]. The juice of the leaves has been used to relieve earache[240]. The seeds are anthelmintic, carminative, rubefacient, stimulant and vesicant[240, 272]. The seed contains 0.1% viscosic acid and 0.04% viscosin[240]. A paste of the root is applied externally in the treatment of earaches[272].

Known Hazards

None known