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''Cleome gynandra'' is a species of ''
/ref> The seed is a brown 1.5 mm diameter sphere. The leaves and flowers are both edible. The leaves have a strong bitter, sometimes peppery flavor similar to mustard greens.
Typically, the leaves and shoots are eaten boiled or in stews. The leaves are often eaten in Sub-Saharan Africa, where they are often dried for storage, then cooked with milk or butter to reduce its bitter taste. In Uganda and Tanzania, the leaves are cooked with
''Cleome gynandra'': Plant threats to Pacific ecosystemsPacific Island Ecosystems at Risk project (PIER)
JIRCAS : Cleome gynandra : Local Vegetables of Thailand
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q2717584, from2=Q19849772 gynandra Rosids of Australia Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora of Ashmore and Cartier Islands Leaf vegetables Asian vegetables
Cleome
''Cleome'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cleomaceae, commonly known as spider flowers, spider plants, spider weeds, or bee plants. Previously, it had been placed in the family Capparaceae, until DNA studies found the Cleomaceae ge ...
'' that is used as a green vegetable. It is known by many common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
s including Shona cabbage, African cabbage, spiderwisp, cat's whiskers, , and stinkweed. It is an annual wildflower native to Africa but has become widespread in many tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
and sub-tropical parts of the world. It is an erect, branching plant generally between 25 cm and 60 cm tall. Its sparse leaves are each made up of 3–5 oval-shaped leaflets. The flowers are white, sometimes changing to rose pink as they age.''Cleome gynandra'' L. entry in PlantZAfrica.com database/ref> The seed is a brown 1.5 mm diameter sphere. The leaves and flowers are both edible. The leaves have a strong bitter, sometimes peppery flavor similar to mustard greens.
Uses
Typically, the leaves and shoots are eaten boiled or in stews. The leaves are often eaten in Sub-Saharan Africa, where they are often dried for storage, then cooked with milk or butter to reduce its bitter taste. In Uganda and Tanzania, the leaves are cooked with groundnut
Groundnut may refer to:
* Seeds that ripen underground, of the following plants, all in the Faboideae subfamily of the legumes:
** '' Best Basketball Player'', Obinna Udunni
** '' Arachis villosulicarpa'', a perennial peanut species
** ''Vigna sub ...
paste.
The plant is useful for intercropping due to its insect repellent properties.
In Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
and Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, the leaves are a popular food item fermented with rice water
Rice water is a suspension of starch obtained by draining boiled rice or by boiling rice until it completely dissolves into the water. It may be used as a weak gruel for invalids. It is especially effective in the treatment of diarrhea such as ...
as a pickle known as ''phak sian dong''. The same pickle is also eaten in the northern states of Malaysia, and is known as ''jeruk maman''. The state of Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan'') is a state in Malaysia which lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the s ...
specializes in '' rendang maman'', where the leaves are braised in spiced coconut milk for a long period of time to achieve the desirable crisp and texture.
''Cleome gynandra'' is high in beta-carotene, folic acid, ascorbic acid and calcium. It also contains vitamin E, iron, and oxalic acid. Generally, the leaves are about 4.0% protein. The leaves also have antioxidative properties that can help with inflammatory diseases. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is sometimes used as a medicinal herb.
Ecology
It is an annual wildflower native to Africa but has naturalized acrosstropic
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
and sub-tropical regions across Asia. It grows well in disturbed, well-drained soils, but is also drought-tolerant
Drought tolerance is the ability to which a plant maintains its biomass production during arid or drought conditions. Some plants are naturally adapted to dry conditions'','' surviving with protection mechanisms such as desiccation tolerance, detox ...
. It does not tolerate cold temperatures well, and is frost-tender.
''Cleome gynandra'' is considered an invasive weed in many places in the U.S. and elsewhere in the Pacific.Biochemistry
''Cleome gynandra'' usesNAD-malic enzyme
Malate dehydrogenase (decarboxylating) () or NAD-malic enzyme (NAD-ME) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
:(S)-malate + NAD+ \rightleftharpoons pyruvate + CO2 + NADH
Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are (S)-malate and NA ...
type photosynthesis and has the characteristic traits associated with this, including changes in leaf biochemistry
Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...
, cell biology
Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and ...
and development. The family Cleomaceae is relatively close to Brassicaceae with ''Arabidopsis thaliana
''Arabidopsis thaliana'', the thale cress, mouse-ear cress or arabidopsis, is a small flowering plant native to Eurasia and Africa. ''A. thaliana'' is considered a weed; it is found along the shoulders of roads and in disturbed land.
A winter a ...
'' (a photosynthetic plant) and therefore offers comparison with this well studied model organism
A model organism (often shortened to model) is a non-human species that is extensively studied to understand particular biological phenomena, with the expectation that discoveries made in the model organism will provide insight into the workin ...
. The pathway in this species evolved independently from two other ''Cleome'' species, '' C. angustifolia'' and '' C. oxalidea''.
See also
*List of leaf vegetables
This is a list of vegetables which are grown or harvested primarily for the consumption of their leafy parts, either raw or cooked. Many vegetables with leaves that are consumed in small quantities as a spice such as oregano, for medicinal purpos ...
*List of Thai ingredients
This is a list of ingredients found in Thai cuisine.
Herbs and spices
Fresh herbs and spices
}), sometimes called ''kaeng lao'' ( th, แกงลาว).
, -
,
, Kuichai
, กุยช่าย
, ''Allium tuberosum'' Chinese chives
, Closer ...
References
External links
JIRCAS : Cleome gynandra : Local Vegetables of Thailand
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q2717584, from2=Q19849772 gynandra Rosids of Australia Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Flora of Ashmore and Cartier Islands Leaf vegetables Asian vegetables