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alkali cleomella, alkali stinkweed, twisted cleomella

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

Habit Plants 10–55(–85) cm. Plants 10–55(–85) cm.
Stems

sparsely branched distally (central stem dominant); glabrous.

sparsely branched proximally (central stem dominant); glabrous.

Leaves

stipules (scarious) 0.5–1 mm;

petiole 0.8–2 cm;

leaflet blade linear-elliptic, 1.5–4.5 × 0.2–0.7 cm, thin, margins entire, apex acute, surfaces glabrous.

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.

Inflorescences

racemes, terminating stems and branches, 1–15 cm (2–20 cm in fruit);

bracts unifoliate, 5–25 mm.

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

bracts unifoliate, 5–9 mm.

Pedicels

ascending in fruit, 5–10 mm (6–12 mm in fruit).

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

Flowers

sepals green, lanceolate, 0.9–2.2 × 0.5–0.7 mm, glabrous;

petals yellow or orange, oblong, 3.5–5(–7) × 1.4–1.6(–2) mm, hairy abaxially;

stamens yellow, 8–12 mm;

anthers 1.5–1.9 mm;

gynophore ascending, 6–10 mm in fruit;

ovary rhomboidal, 1–1.5 mm;

style 0.8–1.2 mm.

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.

Capsules

ovoid to rhomboidal, 2.5–5 × 2.5–6(–8) mm, glabrous.

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

Seeds

2–4, silver-gray with black mottling, globose, 2–2.2 mm, smooth.

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

Cleomella plocasperma

Cleomella hillmanii

Phenology Flowering mid spring–fall.
Habitat Wet alkaline meadows, greasewood flats, around thermal springs
Elevation 800-1400 m (2600-4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; UT
[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. 213. FNA vol. 7, p. 210.
Parent taxa Cleomaceae > Cleomella Cleomaceae > Cleomella
Sibling taxa
C. angustifolia, C. brevipes, C. hillmanii, C. longipes, C. obtusifolia, C. palmeriana, C. parviflora
C. angustifolia, C. brevipes, C. longipes, C. obtusifolia, C. palmeriana, C. parviflora, C. plocasperma
Subordinate taxa
C. hillmanii var. goodrichii, C. hillmanii var. hillmanii
Synonyms C. oöcarpa, C. plocasperma var. mojavensis, C. plocasperma var. stricta
Name authority S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 33. (1871) A. Nelson: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 18: 171. (1905)
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