Cleome ornithopodioides

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family: Capparidaceae
Genus: Cleome
Life cycle: annual
Height: 0.3 m
Flower type: hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

Seed. Used as a mustard substitute^[5]^[3].

Product or use: Condiment

Plant part: Seed

Environment

Range: Europe to W. Asia.
Habitat: Rocky debris on hillsides, gravels and river drifts, occasionally on waste ground^[5].
Light: full sun
Shade tolerance: no shade
Water: moderate
Soil textures: sandy, loamy
Soil pH: acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage: well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil: No
Drought: intolerant

Propagation

Seed - surface sow or only lightly cover the seed in spring in a greenhouse^[2]. The seed usually germinates in 5 - 14 days at 25°c^[2]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in late spring. Day time temperatures below 20°c depress germination but a night time fall to 20° is necessary^[2].

Cultivation

We have very little information on this species but it should succeed as a spring-sown annual in Britain. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a light fertile soil in a warm dry sunny position with plenty of room to spread^[1]^[4].

References

F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00
↩
Bird. R. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 4. Thompson and Morgan. 1990-00-00
↩1 ↩2 ↩3
Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169
↩
Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
↩
Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968-00-00
↩1 ↩2

Edit this page