Family: Cleomaceae
Common name: Asian spiderflower, Tick weed, Cleome, Dog mustard, Wild mustard, Yellow cleome, Yellow mesambay, Ground dove feed, Caia, Arivela viscosa, Viscid cleome, Wild cleome, Hurhur, Nayibela, Naibela, Ariavala, Naivela, Ariyavela
Asian spiderflower is a herbaceous weed with beautiful yellow flowers, growing in tropical countries of Asia, Africa, and South America. Though they are herbaceous and short-lived, they are considered noxious weeds since each plant produces hundreds of sticky seeds that can spread and germinate quickly.
Plant Characteristics
Roots of the Asian spiderflower are shallow and fibrous, spreading horizontally on the ground. The stem is green, erect, and branches well to make the plant look bushy.
The bottom of the stem can turn woody with age, but the top is herbaceous and green with a hairy texture. These plants grow to a height of about 1 meter with upright, spreading branches.
Leaves are palmate with multiple leaflets radiating from the center like the fingers of a hand. They are 5-10 cm long with a slightly serrated margin. The surface is bright green and can be smooth or slightly hairy.
Flowers are a notable feature of the Asian spiderflower, bright yellow with darker colored stamens. These flowers have a distinct spider-like appearance with slender, elongated stamens that look like spider legs.
Each flower is 1-2 cm in diameter and could be white or yellow depending on the variety of plant; yellow being the more common color.
Asian spiderflowers bloom in clusters at the tip of the stems, making the plants look beautiful, while also attracting small pollinators to them. Flowering usually happens in spring and summer, when the plants burst into bright yellow flowers and long fruit pods.
Once the flowers are pollinated, they produce fruit pods that are 3-4 cm long with numerous small seeds inside. When the fruits mature, they split open to release small black seeds which are lightweight and slightly sticky.
These seeds can be propagated through wind, water, or by small animals to new locations where they germinate and produce new plants.
Growing Tips
Asian spiderflower plants need good sunlight for most part of the day to grow and flower well. They are quite sturdy and can survive in a variety of soil conditions, even in soil with very little nutrition.
They do not need watering, fertilization, or application of pesticides; growing and thriving on roadsides, open areas, abandoned plots, and so on.
These plants are considered as invasive weeds in agricultural land, where they can grow quickly covering large areas, smothering the saplings.
They can be removed by hand, by pulling out the plants easily before they produce fruits and seeds. Once they flower and fruit, these plants need to be removed with pesticides.
Asian spiderflowers are closely related to Cleome monophylla or Spindle pods and Cleome rutidosperma or Fringed spider flower, both very common weeds with similar flowers.
Uses of Asian Spiderflower plants
Young leaves and shoots of the Asian Spiderflower plant are cooked as vegetables. The pungent seeds resemble mustard in size, shape, and flavor and can be used for tempering dishes.
Parts of the plant are used in the treatment of wounds, cuts, ulcers, rheumatism, earache, colic, worms, and stomach disorders.
These plants can be grown in gardens in flowerbeds along with other wildflowers, to attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators. Bright yellow flowers can be combined with red, lavender, or white flowers to bring some brightness into the garden.
Propagation
Propagation is through seeds and stem cuttings.
Mature seedpods can be plucked from the parent plants when they are brown, and the seeds can be collected. These seeds will germinate quickly in moist, well-drained soil. Stem cuttings taken from healthy plants can root well in soil.
Photographed at: Thrissur, Kerala
