Skip to main content

Cleome schimperi

Pax

Cleomaceae Edible: Leaves, Vegetable

gbif· cc-by

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

gbif· cc-by-nc-sa

MBG

gbif· cc-by

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Description

A herb. It grows each year from seeds. It is low growing. It can be 60 cm tall. The stem is covered with hairs. The leaves have 3 leaflets. The leaflets are narrowly oval and 2.2 cm long by 0.8 cm wide. They are hairy. The flower petals are pale pink. The fruit capsule is 1.7-3.5 cm long. The seeds are dark brown with ridges and are 1.8 mm across.

Edible Uses

The leaves are cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. It grows at higher altitudes between 1,000-2,000 m altitude.

Where It Grows

Africa, Congo DR, East Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda,

Also Known As

Nyiragasogereza

References (2)

  • Grubben, G. J. H. and Denton, O. A. (eds), 2004, Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA, Wageningen, Netherlands. p 196
  • Jansen, P.C.M., 2004. Cleome rutidosperma DC. [Internet] Record from Protabase. Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (Editors). PROTA (Plant Resources of Tropical Africa), Wageningen, Netherlands. < http://database.prota.org/search.htm>. Accessed 14 October 2009.

More from Cleomaceae