Jepson Herbarium
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Annual, perennial herb, shrub, often ill-smelling.
Leaf: generally 1- palmate, generally alternate, generally petioled; stipules generally minute, often bristle-like or hairy; leaflets 0 or 3–7.
Inflorescence: raceme, head, or flowers 1, expanded in fruit; bracts generally 3-parted below, simple above, or 0.
Flower: generally bisexual, radial to ± bilateral; sepals generally 4, free or fused, generally persistent; petals generally 4, free, ± clawed; stamens generally 6, free, exserted, anthers generally coiling at dehiscence; ovary superior, generally on stalk-like receptacle, chamber generally 1, placentas generally 2, parietal, style 1, persistent, stigma generally minute, ± head-like.
Fruit: 2 nutlets or generally capsule, septicidal; valves generally 2, deciduous, leaving septum (frame-like placentas) behind; pedicel generally ± reflexed to spreading.
17 genera, ± 150 species: widespread tropics to arid temperate. [Iltis & Cochrane 2007 Novon 17:447–451] Treated as Capparaceae in TJM (1993). —Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.
Unabridged references: [Ernst 1963 J Arnold Arbor 44:81–93]

Key to Cleomaceae

Annual, generally glabrous.
Stem: generally ascending to erect, sometimes prostrate when older, generally branched from base, often red-tinged.
Leaf: generally many; petiole generally 7–20 mm; leaflets generally 3.
Inflorescence: raceme, ± terminal, flowers 1 in leaf axils, or both; pedicel generally 4–25 mm.
Flower: parts generally yellow; sepals fused in basal 1/3, generally entire; petals ± sessile, upper 2 often recurved.
Fruit: 2–6 mm, often wider than long; septum elliptic to round; receptacle stalk-like.
Seed: < 10.
± 10 species: arid w North America. (Diminutive of Cleome) [Holmgren 2004 Brittonia 56:103–106]

Stem: branched generally from upper nodes, 10–55(80) cm, smooth.
Leaf: leaflets 15–45 mm, linear- elliptic.
Inflorescence: raceme, 1–20 cm.
Flower: sepals 0.9–2.2 mm, lanceolate; petals 3.5–7 mm; stamens 8–12 mm, anthers 1.5–1.9 mm; style 0.8–1.2 mm.
Fruit: 4–5 mm; valves ± hemispheric to horn-shaped; receptacle 6–10 mm, spreading to ascending.
Wet, alkaline meadows, greasewood flats, near thermal springs; 875–1710 m. ne San Bernardino Mountains, Great Basin Floristic Province (except Warner Mountains, White and Inyo Mountains), Mojave Desert (except Desert Mountains);

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].

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Bioregions in which taxon occurs	Red area (if present) is the part of the bioregion lying between the upper and lower elevation limits of the taxon; markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may have georeferencing or identification issues.
Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.	Map made in collaboration with Scott Loarie. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria. View all CCH records   CCH collections by month Duplicates counted once; synonyms included. Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa. Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.