Spider flower

Names and Synonyms

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Siliquaria glandulosa
• Cleome arabica var. lutea
• Cleome daryoushiana
• Cleome amblyocarpa var. glandulosa

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Brassicaleales, it is classified under the family Cleomaceae. Finally, its taxonomic placement is completed within the genus Cleome.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily located within the northern region of the African continent. Its distribution spans several key countries, including Algeria and Egypt. Additionally, the species can be found throughout the territories of Libya and Morocco. It is also documented to grow within the borders of Tunisia. Together, these locations define its specific geographical range across North Africa.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Cleome amblyocarpa is characterized by an annual lifecycle, meaning it completes its entire developmental process—from germination and vegetative growth to flowering and seed production—within a single growing season. In terms of its structural adaptation to environmental conditions, the plant is classified as a hemicryptophyte, a life form where the perennating buds are located at the soil surface, protected by a layer of leaf litter or organic debris during unfavorable periods. This combination of an annual developmental strategy and a hemicryptophytic growth habit allows the species to effectively exploit seasonal resources while ensuring survival through the production of seeds that persist in the soil.

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Lifecycle :

annual

Morphology

The morphology of Cleome amblycarpa is characterized by a growth form classified as a herb, consisting of non-woody stems that lack permanent lignification. This plant functions as an independent organism, neither relying on a host nor exhibiting parasitic behavior. In terms of its habitat and physical structure, it is a terrestrial species rather than aquatic or semiaquatic, and it maintains a self-supporting growth habit, requiring no external structures for climbing or support.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Cleome amblycarpa is fundamentally characterized by its metabolic processes, most notably its photosynthetic pathway, which follows the C3 mechanism. As a C3 plant, its carbon fixation process occurs directly within the mesophyll cells through the Calvin cycle, where the enzyme RuBisCO catalyzes the initial carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) to form a three-carbon compound, 3-phosphoglycerate. This metabolic strategy implies that the plant's gas exchange and energy production are highly dependent on environmental factors such as light intensity, temperature, and moisture availability, as the C3 pathway is susceptible to photorespiration under high-temperature or water-stressed conditions. Consequently, its physiological efficiency and growth rates are intrinsically linked to its ability to manage stomatal conductance to balance CO2 uptake for photosynthesis against transpirational water loss.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

The reproduction of Cleome amblycarpa is characterized by a flexible flowering phenology and specific seed production metrics. The flowering period for this species is highly variable, with potential activity spanning the entire year from January through December, although specific observations indicate significant flowering activity starting around April. The resulting seeds exhibit distinct morphological weight characteristics, with a recorded mean seed mass of approximately 0.002973333 g. The seed size distribution shows a specific range of mass, with individual seeds weighing as little as 0.00186 g at the minimum and reaching a maximum of 0.00355 g.

Flowering time :

Apr

Seed mass max:

0.00355 g

Seed mass mean:

0.002973333 g

Seed mass min:

0.00186 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Cleome amblyocarpa has 2 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, stem.

Leaf

1. Environmental science and pollution research international

Stem

1. Environmental science and pollution research international

Chemicals

Cleome amblyocarpa has 11 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Ash, Caryophyllene oxide, Flavonoids, Glucosinolates, Hexahydrofarnesyl acetone.

Ash

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Caryophyllene oxide

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Flavonoids

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Glucosinolates

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Hexahydrofarnesyl acetone

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Isoshyobunone

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Myrtenyl acetate

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Shyobunol

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

VITAMIN E

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

alloaromadendrene epoxide

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Activities

Cleome amblyocarpa has 9 reported activities identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Analgesic, Antioxidant, Antibacterial, Allelopathic, Anticancer.

Analgesic

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Environmental science and pollution research international
3. RSC advances

Antioxidant

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Environmental science and pollution research international
3. RSC advances

Antibacterial

1. Environmental science and pollution research international
2. RSC advances

Allelopathic

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Anticancer

1. Environmental science and pollution research international

Antifungal

1. Environmental science and pollution research international

Antimicrobial

1. Environmental science and pollution research international

Antinociceptive

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Cytotoxic

1. Environmental science and pollution research international

Conditions

Cleome amblyocarpa has 10 reported investigations on conditions identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include colic, pain, analgesic, antioxidant, cancer.

Colic

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Environmental science and pollution research international

Pain

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. RSC advances

Analgesic

1. RSC advances

Antioxidant

1. RSC advances

Cancer

1. Open veterinary journal

Cutaneous leishmaniasis

1. Acta parasitologica

Dermatophytes

1. Mycopathologia

Inflammation

1. RSC advances

Oxidative damage

1. Open veterinary journal

Rheumatism

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Preparations

Cleome amblyocarpa has 5 reported preparations identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include essential oil (EO), ethanolic (EE), extracts prepared with methanol, hydroalcoholic extracts of leaves, water extracts (WEs).

Essential oil (eo)

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)

Ethanolic (ee)

1. Open veterinary journal

Extracts prepared with methanol

1. Acta parasitologica

Hydroalcoholic extracts of leaves

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Water extracts (wes)

1. Open veterinary journal