Cleome scaposa DC., Prodr. 1: 239. 1824. C. papillosa Steudel, Nomencl. Bot. ed.2.1: 382.1840; Hook. f . & Thomson in Fl. Brit. India 1: 168. 1872.

Herbs, annual, erect, low, up to 60 cm high, much-branched, setose-scabrous, strongly aromatic; stems woody at base, slender, whitish, clothed with both glandular and eglandular setose-scabrous hairs. Leaves broadly ovate, elliptic or suborbicular, rounded to cordate at base, obtuse or retuse at apex, entire, 13 - 3 x 0.5 - 2.4 cm, scabrid or papillose-punctate; midrib impressed above; lateral nerves 2 - 4 pairs; petioles up to 2.5 cm long on basal leaves, gradually shorter above. Racemes lax, slender, 12 - 15 cm long. Flowers showy, 35 - 4.5 mm across; bracts foliaceous at lower flowers, absent at upper flowers; pedicels filiform, 1.5 - 4 mm long, elongating to 8 mm in fruits. Sepals lanceolate or elliptic, 15 - 2 mm long, glandular-pubescent and scabrous on outer surface. Petals ovate or obovate, 2.5 - 3.5 x 1 - 1.5 mm, glabrous, yellow, creamy or occasionally white or rose-pink. Stamens 6; filaments ca 2 mm long, glabrous; anthers oblong. Ovary sessile, linear-oblong, 2 - 25 x 0.5 mm, glabrous, narrowed into a capitate stigma. Capsules sessile,linear-falcate, striated, 20 - 30 x 0.8 - 1.2 mm, glabrous or sparsely glandular; seeds over 20, reniform, 05 - 0.7 mm across, minutely granulate, glabrous, blackish brown.

Fl. & Fr. Aug. - Dec.

Distrib. India: Open rocky slopes, sandy dunes or along river beds in arid or semiarid tracts, forming pure associations, up to 800 m. Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Pakistan to West Asia, North and East Tropical Africa.