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James' clammyweed

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

Habit Annuals, 15–40(–60) cm. Annuals, rarely perennials, (5–)10–60(–90+) cm.
Stems

branched;

hairs stalked, glandular throughout.

branched;

hairs stalked, glandular throughout.

Leaves

petiole green to purple, angled, (0.2–)0.5–0.8(–1) cm;

leaflet blade linear to narrowly elliptic, 1.5–2.8 × 0.1–0.2 cm, margins entire, apex acute, mucronulate, surfaces densely glandular abaxially, sparsely glandular adaxially.

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

1–3 cm (6–8 cm in fruit);

bracts trifoliate, ovate, 5–15 mm.

(dense) 5–20 cm (10–30 cm in fruit);

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

Pedicels

5–15 mm.

10–25(–40) mm.

Flowers

sepals pale yellow, glandular, lanceolate, 1.6–2.6 × 0.8–1.2 mm, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse;

petals white, oblong-ovate, clawed, abaxial pair 1.5–3 × 1–2 mm (6 or 7-lobed), apex emarginate to lacerate, adaxial pair 3–5 × 2–3 mm (4 or 5-lobed), apex emarginate to lacerate;

nectary glands yellow (drying purple), 0.5–1 mm;

stamens 6–9, slightly exserted, yellow, 3.2–5.2 mm;

anthers yellow, 0.5–1 mm;

gynophore 2–4 mm in fruit;

ovary 2.5–5(–7) mm;

style persistent in fruit, 2.5–4.5 mm;

stigma red.

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

8–30 × 2–4 mm, reticulate, glandular.

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

Seeds

18–36, bright reddish brown, globose to oblong, 1.8–2 mm, pebbled (without transverse ridges).

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

2n

= 20.

Polanisia jamesii

Polanisia dodecandra

Phenology Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Sandy soil, often in blowouts in prairies and stabilized dunes
Elevation 200-1400 m (700-4600 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; IA; IL; IN; MN; NE; NM; OH; OK; SD; TX; WI
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Populations of Polanisia jamesii in Indiana and Ohio are adventive.

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

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. 203. FNA vol. 7, p. 201.
Parent taxa Cleomaceae > Polanisia Cleomaceae > Polanisia
Sibling taxa
P. dodecandra, P. erosa, P. tenuifolia, P. uniglandulosa
P. erosa, P. jamesii, P. tenuifolia, P. uniglandulosa
Subordinate taxa
P. dodecandra subsp. dodecandra, P. dodecandra subsp. riograndensis, P. dodecandra subsp. trachysperma
Synonyms Cristatella jamesii Cleome dodecandra
Name authority (Torrey & A. Gray) H. H. Iltis: Brittonia 10: 54. (1958) (Linnaeus) de Candolle: in A. P. de Candolle and A. L. P. P. de Candolle, Prodr. 1: 242. (1824)
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