Cleome arabica
L.
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Rafi Amar, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Rafi Amar, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Rafi Amar, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Rafi Amar, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
iNaturalist · cc-by-nc
(c) Rafi Amar, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Rafi Amar, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Seeds, Leaves
The leaves are dried, ground into powder, and added to milk as a drink. The seeds are also edible.
Where to Find It
A tropical plant. It is a desert plant. It grows in the northern region of West Africa down to 20°N. It can grow in arid places.
Africa, Israel, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Middle East, North Africa, Sahara, Somalia, West Africa,
Countries: United Arab Emirates, Albania, Angola, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Bahrain, Burundi, Benin, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Central African Republic, Congo (Republic), Cote d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cyprus, Djibouti, Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Spain, Ethiopia, France, Gabon, Ghana, Gambia, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Croatia, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Comoros, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Lesotho, Libya, Morocco, Monaco, Montenegro, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Malta, Mauritius, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Sudan, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Sao Tome & Principe, Syria, Eswatini, Chad, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Tanzania, Uganda, Yemen, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How to Identify
A tropical herb from arid regions of West Africa (down to 20°N) that can grow in desert conditions and dry places.
Notes
There are about 150-250 Cleome species. They are mostly tropical and subtropical. There are about 40 Cleome species in tropical America. They are also put in the family Capparaceae. It can restrict the growth of some other plants.
Names & Synonyms
Cleome aschersoniana PfundCleome hexandra Poir. ex Steud.Cleome siliquaria R. Br.Cleome trinervia Fresen.Siliquaria arabica Raf.Siliquaria glandulosa Forssk.
References (4)
- Burkill, H. M., 1985, The useful plants of west tropical Africa, Vol. 1. Kew.
- Heywood, V.H., Brummitt, R.K., Culham, A., and Seberg, O. 2007, Flowering Plant Families of the World. Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew. p 101
- Jardin, C., 1970, List of Foods Used In Africa, FAO Nutrition Information Document Series No 2.p 41
- World Checklist of Useful Plant Species 2020. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
