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desert stinkweed, Hillman's cleomella, Hillman's stinkweed

short-pedicelled cleomella, shortstalk cleomella, shortstalk stinkweed

Habit Plants 10–55(–85) cm. Plants 3–15(–35) cm.
Stems

sparsely branched proximally (central stem dominant); glabrous.

profusely branched (erect or spreading and matlike); glaucous, scabrous.

Leaves

stipules 3–5-fid, 0.5–1 mm (scarious);

petiole 2–6(–8) cm;

leaflet blade elliptic, ovate, or ovate-oblong, 0.8–2.4 × 0.4–1.4 cm, thin, margins entire, apex obtuse to retuse, mucronulate, surfaces glabrous.

stipules finely divided into crinkled threads, 2 mm;

petiole 0.1–0.3 cm;

leaflet blade linear-obovate, 0.5–1.5 × 0.1–0.3 cm, fleshy, margins entire, apex obtuse to acute, mucronate, surfaces scabrous.

Inflorescences

racemes, terminating stems, 3–10 cm (2–20 cm in fruit);

bracts unifoliate, 5–9 mm.

solitary flowers in axils of closely spaced leaves throughout;

bracts unifoliate, 8–10 mm.

Pedicels

divergent in fruit, 5–12 mm (4.5–17 mm in fruit).

reflexed in fruit, 1–2 mm.

Flowers

sepals green, ovate-lanceolate, 1–2 × 0.5–0.7 mm, glabrous;

petals yellow, oblong, (3.5–)4–8 × 1.8–2.2 mm, glabrous;

stamens (well-exserted), yellow, 8–12 mm;

anthers 2.5–3 mm;

gynophore ascending, 3.5–15 mm in fruit;

ovary ovoid, 1–1.3 mm;

style (0.7–)1–2 mm.

sepals green, ovate, 0.8–1.2 × 0.3–0.7 mm, glabrous;

petals pale yellow, oblong, 1.5–2 × 0.5–1 mm, glabrous;

stamens yellow, 1.5–2.2 mm;

anthers 0.3–0.5 mm;

gynophore strongly reflexed, 0.5–3 mm in fruit;

ovary globose, 1–1.5 mm;

style 2–3(–5) mm.

Capsules

rhomboidal, 3.5–6 × 4–10.5 mm, glabrous.

globose or deltoid, 2–3 × 2–3.2 mm, glabrous, (valves triangular).

Seeds

(1 or) 2–6, stramineous, globose, 2–2.7 mm, smooth.

1–4, yellowish, globose, 1.3–1.7 mm, smooth.

Cleomella hillmanii

Cleomella brevipes

Phenology Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat Alkaline marshes, wet saline soils around thermal springs
Elevation 400-1400 m (1300-4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Pedicels (6.5-)9-17 mm in fruit; gynophore (6-) 7-15 mm in fruit; capsules 4-7(-8) mm diam.
var. hillmanii
1. Pedicels 4.5-8.5(-10) mm in fruit; gynophore 3.5-6.5 mm in fruit; capsules (5-)6.5-10.5 mm diam.
var. goodrichii
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 210. FNA vol. 7, p. 210.
Parent taxa Cleomaceae > Cleomella Cleomaceae > Cleomella
Sibling taxa
C. angustifolia, C. brevipes, C. longipes, C. obtusifolia, C. palmeriana, C. parviflora, C. plocasperma
C. angustifolia, C. hillmanii, C. longipes, C. obtusifolia, C. palmeriana, C. parviflora, C. plocasperma
Subordinate taxa
C. hillmanii var. goodrichii, C. hillmanii var. hillmanii
Name authority A. Nelson: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 18: 171. (1905) S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 365. (1882)
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