Cleome ornithopodioides

Illustrator: Yevonn Wilson-Ramsey

Copyright: Flora of North America Association

Annuals, 15–60 cm. Stems unbranched or sparsely branched; glandular-pubescent. Leaves: stipules absent; petiole (0.6–)1.5–4.5 cm; leaflets 3 proximally, 1 distally, blade linear to elliptic, 0.5–3 × 0.1–0.7 cm, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse, surfaces stipitate-glandular throughout (sparingly hairy abaxially). Racemes 1–3 cm (6–15 cm in fruit); bracts mostly unifoliate, sometimes proximalmost trifoliate, 2–15 mm. Pedicels 7–15 mm. Flowers: sepals greenish with purplish margin, deltate, 0.6–2 × 0.8–1.2 mm, margins denticulate, glabrous; petals whitish or yellow, sometimes red-striped, oblong to ovate, 3–4 × 1.5–2 mm; stamens reddish, 5–6 mm; anthers 0.6–0.9 mm; gynophore (1–)3–5 mm in fruit (subtended by clavate, purple-black gland adaxially); ovary 3–6 mm; style 0.2–0.4 mm. Capsules 25–35 × 1.5–2 mm. Seeds (4–)10–20, reddish brown or mottled black and brown, ovoid-spheroidal, 1.2–1.5(–1.8), not arillate, (finely papillose).

Phenology: Flowering summer.
Habitat: Railroad yards, ore piles (chrome, vanadium), roadsides
Elevation: 100-200 m

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Introduced; Ky., Md., Ohio, Pa., se Europe, sw Asia.

Discussion

Selected References

Reed, C. F. 1965b. Cleome ornithopodioides L. on vanadium-slag at Canton, Baltimore, Maryland with notes on the biochemistry of vanadium. Phytologia 11: 423–431.

Thieret, J. W. and R. L. Thompson. 1984. Cleome ornithopodioides (Capparaceae): Adventive and spreading in North America. Bartonia 50: 25–26.

Lower Taxa

None.