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Cleome hassleriana Chodat
Family Name: | Cleomaceae |
Common Name: | Spider Flower, Spider Plant, Grandfather's Whiskers |
Name
Classifications and Characteristics
Plant Division | Angiosperms (Flowering Seed Plants) (Dicotyledon) |
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Plant Growth Form | Herbaceous Plant |
Lifespan (in Singapore) | Perennial |
Mode of Nutrition | Autotrophic |
Plant Shape | Shrubby |
Maximum Height | 0.9 m to 1.8 m |
Maximum Plant Spread / Crown Width | 0.3 m to 0.6 m |
Biogeography
Native Distribution | Brazil to Northern Argentina |
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Native Habitat | Terrestrial |
Preferred Climate Zone | Tropical |
Local Conservation Status | Non-native (Horticultural / Cultivated Only) |
Description and Ethnobotany
Growth Form | It is an herbaceous plant that often grows 0.9 - 1.2 m tall, but sometimes up to 1.5 - 1.8 m tall. |
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Foliage | Leaves are palmately compound, sticky and may have unpleasant odours. There is a pair of spines at the base of the leaf stalk. Some cultivars lack both odour and spines. |
Flowers | Flowers in dense terminal raceme inflorescences, showy pink, lavender or white petals, long thread-like stamens, attract bees and butterflies. |
Fruits | Fruit are long thin capsules (15 cm by 3 mm), many-seeded, brown and dehiscent when mature. Seeds are round, brown and bumpy. |
Cultivation | It grows best under full sun and in moist, well-drained soil. Although it may tolerate light shade, shade will cause the plant to grow taller and become less stable. Prune off side-shoots for tall slender plants or remove central bud when plant is 30 cm tall for a shorter, bushier form. Under hot and humid growing conditions, the plant may develop powdery mildew or rust. Remove spent flowers to prolong flowering. Propagate by seed. |
Landscaping Features
Desirable Plant Features | Ornamental Flowers |
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Plant & Rootzone Preference - Tolerance | Fertile Loamy Soils, Well-Drained Soils, Easy to Grow |
Landscape Uses | Flowerbed / Border |
Thematic Landscaping | Butterfly Garden |
Usage Hazard - Cons | Spines/Thorns - Stem/Branch |
Usage Hazard - Cons Remarks | Spines on thick stems at leaf bases. Leaves are resinous and slightly sticky to the touch. |
Fauna, Pollination and Dispersal
Fauna Pollination Dispersal Associated Fauna | Bat Food (, Flower Nectar), Bee-Attracting, Butterfly Food Plant (Flower Nectar) |
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Pollination Method(s) | Biotic (Fauna) (Vertebrates (Bat), Insects (Bee), Insects (Butterfly, Moth)) |
Seed or Spore Dispersal | Abiotic (Explosive Dehiscence) |
Plant Care and Propagation
Light Preference | Full Sun |
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Water Preference | Moderate Water |
Plant Growth Rate | Fast |
Planting Distance From | 0 |
Pruning | Prune side-shoots to get tall slender plant. When plant is 30cm tall, prune central bud to encourage branching, & to get shorter and bushier form. |
Propagation Method | Seed |
Propagule Establishment Remarks | Seed leaves spoon-shaped. True leaves palmately-lobed. Seeds sowed outdoors germinate in 28-45 days. |
Maintenance Requirements Remarks | Remove spent flowers to prolong flowering period. |
Foliar
Foliage Retention | Evergreen |
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Mature Foliage Colour(s) | Green |
Mature Foliage Texture(s) | Sticky, Raised / Sunken Veins |
Foliar Modification | Spine (axillary) |
Foliar Type | Compound (Palmate) |
Foliar Arrangement Along Stem | Alternate |
Foliar Attachment to Stem | Petiolate |
Foliar Shape(s) | Non-Palm Foliage (Palmate) |
Foliar Venation | Palmate |
Foliar Margin | Palmately Lobed, Entire |
Foliar Apex - Tip | Acute |
Foliar Base | Acute |
Typical Foliar Area | Microphyll ( 2.25cm2 - 20.25 cm2 ) |
Non - Foliar and Storage
Stem Type & Modification | Herbaceous |
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Root Type | Underground (Fibrous Root) |
Floral (Angiosperm)
Flower & Plant Sexuality 1 | Bisexual Flowers |
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Flower Colour(s) | Pink, White, Purple |
Flower Grouping | Cluster / Inflorescence |
Flower Location | Terminal |
Flower Symmetry | Bilateral |
Flower Size - Width | 3 cm |
Inflorescence Type | Raceme |
Inflorescence Size - Width | 18 |
Inflorescence Size - Unit | cm |
Flowering Opening Time | Time-Independent |
Fruit, Seed and Spore
Mature Fruit Colour(s) - Angiosperms and Gymnosperms | Brown |
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Fruit Classification | Simple Fruit |
Fruit Type 1 | Dehiscent Dry Fruit |
Fruit Type 2 | Silique |
Mature Seed Colour(s) | Brown |
Mature Seed Texture(s) | Bumpy / Tuberculate |
Image Repository
Others
Master ID | 7720 |
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Species ID | 3313 |
Flora Disclaimer | The information in this website has been compiled from reliable sources, such as reference works on medicinal plants. It is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment and NParks does not purport to provide any medical advice. Readers should always consult his/her physician before using or consuming a plant for medicinal purposes. |