Family · Rosids

Cleomaceae

Spider flowers

Herbs and shrubs with palmate leaves and long-stamened flowers; includes the ornamental spider flowers.

Accepted species

226accepted names · Kew WCVP

Genera

2accepted genera · Kew WCVP

Origin

≈38 MaPaleogene · crown age, Jin & Qian 2022 megatree

Centre of diversity

Southern Americamost native species · WGSRPD

Open Cleomaceae in the treePan, zoom and dig into its genera in the interactive view.›

Plants you might know

• Cleome
• Tarenaya

Genera

• Cleome204 spp.
• Cleomella22 spp.

Where it grows

• Southern America72
• Africa70
• Northern America46
• Asia-Temperate44
• Asia-Tropical24
• Australasia15
• Europe3

Native species richness by botanical continent (WGSRPD level 1), from Kew WCVP.

Related families

Cleomaceae sits in the order Brassicales.

• BrassicaceaeCrucifers — cabbage, mustard, canola4,258
• CapparaceaeCapers442
• ResedaceaeMignonettes118
• TropaeolaceaeNasturtiums96
• CaricaceaePapaya44
• Gyrostemonaceae20
• MoringaceaeMoringa (drumstick tree)13
• SalvadoraceaeMustard tree10
• LimnanthaceaeMeadowfoam9
• Akaniaceae2
• KoeberliniaceaeAllthorn2
• BataceaeSaltworts2
• Tovariaceae2
• Setchellanthaceae1
• Emblingiaceae1
• Pentadiplandraceae1