Cleome aspera J. Koenig ex DC.

Cleome species are annual or perennial herbs. Stem simple or sparsely branched, glabrous or grandular pubescent, foetid or sometimes with scattered prickly appendages. Leaves simple, spiral or digitately 3-13 foliate, lanceolate to oblanceolate, margin entire or serrate, lower leaves petiolate, upper ones subsessile to sessile, stipules scalelike, caducous or absent. Inflorescence racemes, solitary to many flowered, terminal or axillary. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic or rarely actinomorphic, pedicellate, bracts membranous or leaflike, caducous or persistent, sepals 4, equal, valvate, free or slightly fused at the base, subtending nectary glands at the base, pubescent, petals 4, equal or unequal, usually clawed at base, longer than the sepals. Stamens 4-6, filament inserted on a discoid, declinate, glabrous, anthers linear oblong. Ovary superior, bicarpellary, sessile or on short gynophore, unilocular, ovules many on parietal 2 placentae, style short or absent, stigma capitate. Fruit capsule, dehiscent, linear oblong, with persistent seed bearing replum. Seeds 4-40, orbicular or reniform, cleft fused between 2 ends, surface smooth, reticulate or warty, embryo straight.

Cleome species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: June-October; almost throughout the year.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Annual herbs, about 15-30 cm tall. Stem decumbent, prostrate or ascending, simple or much branched, pubescent with short compressed hooked soft prickles, branches slender, usually branched from the base. Leaves tri-foliate, uppermost leaves simple or uni-foliate, leaflets subsessile, , linear lanceolate to oblong, about 5-25 x 1-5 mm across, central leaflets larger than the lateral leaflets, margin entire, ciliate with tubercled based hairs, apex rounded, retuse, subobtuse with mucronate tip, lower most leaf with oblanceolate leaflets, petiole about 2-12 mm long, almost sessile in uppermost leaves. Inflorescence axillary leafy racemes, solitary in higher axils of leafs about 2.5 long. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, white to creamy yellow with orange or reddish steaks, about 3 mm across, pedicel filiform, slender, about 3-5 mm long, up to 15 mm long in fruit, sepals 4, linear lanceolate, valvate, free or slightly fused at the base, slightly connate at the base, apex obtuse, grandular pubescent, about 1-2 x 0.5-1 mm across, petals 4, spathulate or linear oblong, distinctly clawed at base, about 2.5-4 x 0.8-1.5 mm across. Stamens 6, filament inserted on a discoid, purple or violet, about 2.5 mm long, anthers linear. Ovary superior, bicarpellary, linear about 2-2.5 mm long, unilocular, ovules many on parietal 2 placentae, style slender about 1 mm long. Fruit capsule, dehiscent, linear oblong, about 20-30 x 1.5-2 mm across, narrow near the base and apex, terete, beaked, scarsely torulose, with persistent seed bearing replum, subsessile or stalk up to 3 mm long. Seeds 10-20, suborbicular or reniform, about 1.8-2 x 1.5 mm across, granulate, with prominent cross ribs, cleft fused between 2 ends, surface smooth, yellowish dark brown.

Cleome species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus, and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Gravelly, sandy places and waste places, altitude up to 400 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).