Spider flower; Cat’s-whiskers; yang jiao cai; Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briq.

Gynandropsis gynandra or Cleoma gynandrae plant is widely distributed in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. In Africa a form of this species, with very large capsules (upto 15 cm long, 1.2 cm broad), is cultivated as vegetable.It is mostly found in Roadsides, wastelands, fields, often dry areas; near sea level to 300(-800) m. Anhui, Chongqing, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shandong, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [Bhutan, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam; tropical Africa; introduced in Central, S North, and South America. The other species G. speciosa DC., of Central & South America with glabrous plants and larger fls. and leaves, may be found cultivated as an ornamental in our gardens. 

Common Names for Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briq. are akeyo, chinsaga, dek, ecaboi, ejjobyo, eshogi,
eyobyo, mchicha, sake, mkabili, bhutmula and maman. Some Scientific synonyms of Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briq. include
Cleoma gynandrae L.,
Cleoma heterotricha Burch.,
Cleoma pentaphylla L.,
Gynandropsis heterotricha (Burch.) DC.,

Gynandropsis pentaphylla (L.) DC.

According to Flora of China:

Herbs, annual, (0.2-)0.9-1.5 m tall. Stems simple or sparsely branched, glabrate to glandular pubescent. Petiole 3.5-4.5(-8) cm, glandular pubescent; leaflets 3 or 5; leaflet blades oblanceolate to rhombic, 2.5-4.5 × 1.2-2.5 cm, both surfaces glabrate to glandular pubescent, margin serrulate-denticulate, apex acute. Inflorescences 5-20 cm but 10-40 cm in fruit, 5-12-flowered; bracts 1-2.5 cm, 3-foliolate, petiolate. Pedicel purple, 0.8-1.5 cm, glabrous. Sepals green, lanceolate, 3.5-5 × 0.8-1.2 mm, persistent, glandular pubescent, base cuneate, margin entire. Petals purple to white, oblong to ovate, 7-14 × 3-4 mm, clawed. Stamens purple, 0.8-3 cm; filaments adnate to gynophore for 1/3-1/2 their length, diverging at anthesis; anthers green, 1-2 mm. Pistil 6-10 mm; style 1-1.2 mm. Fruit gynophore 1-1.4 cm, scars from filaments visible for 1/3-1/2 its length; capsule 4.5-9.5 cm × 3-4 mm, glandular pubescent. Seeds 10-20 per capsule, reddish brown to black, subspherical, 1.4-1.6 × 1-1.2 mm, rugose to tuberculate.

According to Flora of North America:

Plants (50-)90-150 cm. Leaves: petiole 3.5-4.5(-8) cm, glandular-pubescent; leaflet blade oblanceolate to rhombic, 2.5-4.5 × 1.2-2.5 cm, margins serrulate-denticulate, apex acute, surfaces glabrate to glandular-pubescent. Racemes 5-20 cm (10-40 cm in fruit); bracts trifoliate, 10-25 mm. Pedicels purple, 8-15 mm, glabrous. Flowers: sepals green, lanceolate, 3.5-5 × 0.8-1.2 mm, glandular-pubescent; petals purple or white, oblong to ovate, 7-14 × 3-4 mm; stamens purple, 8-30 mm; anthers 1-2 mm; gynophore purple, 10-14 mm in fruit; ovary 6-10 mm; style 1-1.2 mm. Capsules 45-95 × 3-4 mm, glandular-pubescent. Seeds reddish brown to black, 1.4-1.6 × 1-1.2 mm, rugose to tuberculate

According to Flora of Pakistan:

Herbs annual, erect or suberect, 10-50 (-90) cm tall, often glandular hairy. Leaves petiolate, 3-7-foliolate, very variable in size; leaflets obovate to elliptic, 1-5 (-6) cm long, 0.5-3 cm broad, usually acute or slightly acuminate, finely crenate to subentire; petiole (1-) 3-10 cm long. Inflorescence showy, up to 30 cm long, bracteate, bracts much smaller than the leaves. Flowers 1-2 cm across, mostly white or pinkish; pedicels generally 1-2 cm long. Sepals 4, ovate to lanceolate, 2-5 (-8) mm long, glandular. Petals 4, obovate and long clawed, 9-20 mm long, 4-10 mm broad. Androphore 15-25 mm long; stamens usually about 10, verti¬cellate, usually 10-15 mm long, subequal, spreading conspicuously from a long androphore (never like this in any Cleome species), filaments often pinkish or lilac. Gynophore 10-20 mm long, usually shorter in flowers but increasing in fruit. Style 1-2 mm long. Fruit capsular, (1.5-) 3-7 (-12) cm long, 0.2-0.5 (-0.8) cm broad, linear, narrowed towards both the ends, glandular-pubescent, finely and obliquely striated, many seeded. Seeds 1-1.8 mm in diam., finely longitudinally striated, with slightly cristate transverse ridges, dark-brown. 

Medicinal properties and uses include:

Seeds and bruised leaves are extremely irritant. Plant used in snakebite and scorpion stings. Powder from dried whole plant taken to treat poisonous bites. Root stomachic, mild febrifuge, a decoction in fever, ascites, ulcers, pain, earache, threadworms and spleen enlargement. Leaf rubefacient and vesicant, the juice for headache, pound and poultice the head, also applied in rheumatism. Seeds decoction taken for headache, coughs, and to control roundworm.