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polanisia dodecandra, red-whisker clammy-weed, red-whiskered clammyweed, roughseed clammyweed

Habit Annuals, rarely perennials, (5–)10–60(–90+) cm.
Stems

branched;

hairs stalked, glandular throughout.

Leaves

petiole green to purple, angled, 1.5–4.5(–6) cm, glandular;

leaflet blade oblanceolate to obovate or broadly elliptic, 1.9–4.5(–6.5) × 0.5–2(–3) cm, margins entire, surfaces sparsely glandular.

Racemes

(dense) 5–20 cm (10–30 cm in fruit);

bracts unifoliate, lanceolate to orbiculate, 5–20 mm.

Pedicels

10–25(–40) mm.

Flowers

sepals purple, oblong, 3–6 × 1.5–2.5 mm, margins entire, apex acuminate, glandular;

petals white, pink, rose, or purple, oblong-ovate, clawed, abaxial pair (3–)5–10 × 1.8–3(–5) mm, apex emarginate to lacerate, adaxial pair 8–14 × 3–5 mm, apex emarginate;

nectary glands bright orange, not conspicuous (in fruit);

stamens 10–20, exserted, purple, (6–)7–28(–40) mm;

anthers purple, 1–1.3 mm;

gynophore 0–2 mm in fruit;

ovary 5–10 mm;

style deciduous in fruit, 5–17 mm;

stigma purple.

Capsules

(inflated) 40–70 × 5–9 mm, reticulate, glandular.

Seeds

20–65, dark reddish brown, globose to oblong, 2–2.3 mm, roughened or tuberculate-rugose.

Polanisia dodecandra

Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; SD; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; MB; ON; QC; SK; n Mexico
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Discussion

Subspecies 3 (3 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Petals (3-)5-7(-8) mm; stamens ± equaling orslightly longer than petals.
subsp. dodecandra
1. Petals (6-)8-14(-17) mm; stamens ± equaling, or slightly longer to ca. 2 times or more as long as petals
→ 2
2. Inflorescence bracts ovate to orbiculate; leaflet blade apex rounded; seeds tuberculate-rugose.
subsp. riograndensis
2. Inflorescence bracts lanceolate to ovate; leaflet blade apex acute to obtuse; seeds roughened.
subsp. trachysperma
Source FNA vol. 7, p. 201.
Parent taxa Cleomaceae > Polanisia
Sibling taxa
P. erosa, P. jamesii, P. tenuifolia, P. uniglandulosa
Subordinate taxa
P. dodecandra subsp. dodecandra, P. dodecandra subsp. riograndensis, P. dodecandra subsp. trachysperma
Synonyms Cleome dodecandra
Name authority (Linnaeus) de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 1: 242. (1824)
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