Cleome gynandra
| Cleome gynandra | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 4' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Medicinal Rating: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Cleome gynandra (common name: african spider flower)
Propagation: Seed - surface sow or only lightly cover the seed in spring in a greenhouse[1]. The seed usually germinates in 5 - 14 days at 25°c[1]. 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[1].
Cultivation: Prefers a light fertile soil in a warm dry sunny position with plenty of room to spread[2][3].
A frost tender plant, it can be grown as a summer annual in Britain[3].
Range: Tropical and Sub-Tropical zones.
Habitat: Open areas and uncultivated land to an elevation of 300 metres in Nepal[4].
Medicinal: A decoction of the root is used to treat fevers[5][4]. The juice of the root is used to relieve scorpion stings[4].
The leaves, applied as a poultice, are used as a vesicant and rubefacient in the treatment of rheumatism[5][4]. The juice of the leaves is a remedy for pain in the ear[5].
The seeds are anthelmintic and rubefacient[5][4].
The whole plant is used in the treatment of scorpion stings and snake bites[5].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Late Spring-Mid Fall
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: Gynandropsis gynandra. (L.)Briq. G. pentaphylla. DC.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Bird, Alfred. Growing from Seed Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan, 1990.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Manandhar, Narayan. Plants and People of Nepal. Timber Press, 2002.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Manandhar, N. Medicinal Plants of Nepal Himalaya. Department of Medicinal Plants, 1993.