Cleome spinosa Jacq. (Capparidaceae)

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Chavarría, F., Guadamuz, A., Perez, D., Espinoza, R. and Masís, A. 1998. Cleome spinosa (Capparidaceae) Species Page, May 24, 1998. Species Home Pages, Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica. http://www.acguanacaste.ac.cr

I. Identification:

Annual herb 0.5 m tall with numerous spines.

Flower:

White flowers on the terminal points of the branches. Sweet odor.

Fruit:

Pubescent sheeaths, approximately 9 cm long. The fruits mature during April and May before the rains.

The seeds have a very peculiar form.

Mature and immature fruits, and seeds

Leaves:

Palmately compound.

Bark and wood:

The stems are light green and tomentose.

Whole plant architecture:

View of the plant

Similar species:

Verification:

II.Geographic distribution:

International:

In Costa Rica:

In the Area de Conservación Guanacaste:

Along the banks and beds of rivers and streams located inttermitently in semideciduous and deciduous lowland farests.

Map of macro-habitats of the ACG

III. Natural History:

IV. How to find:

Along the banks and beds of intermittent rivers and streams of the Santa Rosa and Naranjo sectors.

Acknowledgements.

This project was carried out by the Area de Conservación Guanacaste/CR, with help from INBio/CR, ICBG from the Foggarty center, NIH/USA and NSF/USA.

Thanks to Kate Beattie for helping with the image management and the translation of this species page.

Literature cited: