Cleome spinosa Jacq., Cleomaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: prickly spider-flower, spiny spider-flower

French: cléome épineuse, grand acaya, grand mouzambé, mouzambé à six feuilles

Spanish: barba de galán, frijolillo, jazmin del rio, mussambé, pito-pito, plantanilla espinosa, plantanito, sambo, tabaquillo, volantines preciosos, zarza

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annual herbs 10-14 dm tall; stems glandular pubescent and with scattered small spines.  Leaflets 5-7, lanceolate, 6-8 (-10) cm long, 1.7-2.5 (-3) cm wide, sparely glandular pubescent, apex acute, petioles 5-10 cm long, sometimes with scattered prickles.  Flowers in elongate racemes, each one subtended by simple, subsessile bracts; sepals (4-) 6-7 mm long, glandular pubescent; petals white, rarely pinkish tinged, spatulate with a long claw, 1.5-3 cm long, covering the stamens until anthesis; stamens 6, inserted on the gynophore 0.5-2 mm above the petals; filaments 35-40 mm long; gynophore without a visible scar in fruit.  Capsules cylindrical, 5.5-6.5 cm long, ca. 4 mm in diameter.  Seeds numerous, nearly smooth."  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 494).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "formerly occurred at low elevations, often near taro paddies, ca. 0-250 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 494).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Tropical America from Mexico to northern South America, the west Indies and Hawai'i (but now extinct there) (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 494).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008) Observed in survey, no herbarium record.
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced cultivated	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced	Welsh, S. L. (1998) (p. 59) Voucher cited: BRY 26339
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (1981) (voucher ID: PTBG 37210) Taxon name on voucher: Cleome spinosa Jacq.
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	Tassin, Jacques (2005)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 27) Vouchers cited: MacKee 15848, Suprin in MacKee 41086 Spontané
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 119)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced invasive	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (pp. 208-209) A recent introduction, now thoroughly naturalized and very abundant along streams in Benguet.
Vanuatu New Hebrides Islands	Vanuatu (Republic of)		Swarbrick, John T. (1997) (p. 90)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 119)
China China	China (People's Republic of)		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 119)
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 109)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 119)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)		Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias (1988) (p. 119)

Comments:  Last collected in Hawai‘i in 1864-1865 and now presumed extinct (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 494).

Additional information:
Additional online information about Cleome spinosa is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Cleome spinosa as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Cleome spinosa may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Cardenas, Juan/Reys, Carlos E./Doll, Jerry D./Pardo, Fernando. 1972. Tropical weeds; malezas tropicales, vol. 1. International Plant Protection Center, Oregon State University, Corvallis. 341 pp.

Charles Darwin Foundation. 2008. Database inventory of introduced plant species in the rural and urban zones of Galapagos. Charles Darwin Foundation, Galapagos, Ecuador.

Charles Darwin Research Station. 2005. CDRS Herbarium records.

Hafliger, Toni J./Wolf, Matthias. 1988. Dicot weeds, vol. 1. CIBA-GEIGY Ltd., Basle, Switzerland. 335 pp.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

Merrill, Elmer D. 1923. An enumeration of Philippine flowering plants, vol. 2 [reprint]. Bureau of Printing, Manila. 530 pp.

National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.). 1981. Voucher specimen #PTBG37210(Art Whistler W 4821).

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Tassin, Jacques. 2005. Jacques Tassin (IAC-CIRAD), personal communication.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Welsh, S. L. 1998. Flora Societensis: A summary revision of the flowering plants of the Society Islands. E.P.S. Inc., Orem, Utah. 420 pp.

Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.