''Cleome maculata'' is a species of

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 native to southern Africa, where it occurs in sandy soils, especially in rocky habitats, and on slopes. It is a mostly annual plant, which is found in highveld regions of medium rainfall in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Botswana Botswana (, ), officially the Republic of Botswana ( tn, Lefatshe la Botswana, label=Setswana, ), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory being the Kalahar ...

and

Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ea ...

. It is an erect and simple or branching plant, usually less than a foot tall, with sparse leaves. The linear leaflets are three to five compound. Two of the up-curved, mauve flower petals have a yellow mark at their center, which is bordered with dark purple. The long, up-curved

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s are tipped with bluish, knobby anthers. The fruit is a linear capsule. The species is a pioneer plant that may become a weed.

References

maculata {{Brassicales-stub