[From the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club, 44: 1-37. 10 F 1917.] 



Studies of West Indian plants IX 



Nathaniel Lord Britton 



52. CLEOME PROCUMBENS Jacq. AND ITS RELATIVES 



The small, simple-leaved Cleomes of the West Indies, form an 

 interesting and peculiar group of the genus, very different in 

 habit and aspect from the large, typical, compound-leaved ones. 

 Seven species appear to be represented. 



Annuals or biennials. 

 Pedicels filiform. 



Leaves linear-oblong; pod subterete. 1. C. Sloanei. 



Leaves filiform; pod compressed. 2. C. guianensis. 



Pedicels very short; leaves very narrowly linear. 3. C. stenophylla. 



Perennials with woody roots. 



Pod acute or acuminate; leaves linear to oblong, acute or 

 acuminate. 

 Leaves acuminate; pedicels half as long as the pods. 4. C. procumbens. 



Leaves acute; pedicels as long as the pods or longer. 



Petals about 4 mm. long; leaves oblong to oblong- 

 lanceolate. 5. C. Wrightii. 

 Petals 8-10 mm. long; leaves narrowly linear. 6. C.macrorhiza. 

 Pod obtuse; leaves ovate or elliptic, obtuse or rounded. 7. C. obticsa. 



I. Cleome Sloanei Urban, Symb. Ant. 5: 347. 1907 



Grassy and sandy places, at low elevations, southern side of 

 Jamaica. 



This species is referred by Fawcett and Rendle, as previously 

 by other authors, to C. procumbens Jacq., which is, apparently, 

 confined to Hispaniola. 



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