to petioles, the others with sagittate sessile bases; racemes elongating; silicles mostly 

 7-9 mm. long, 3 to 4 times as long as style. 6-7 mm. thick, with pedicels 1.2-3 

 cm. long, the capsule walls soon hardening; seeds mostly 1-1.5 mm. long, pale 

 yellowish-brown. 



In seepage along streams and wet meadows, a ubiquitous weed, in N. M. (Taos 

 Co.). Apr.-Aug.; Que. to B. C, s. to S. C, 111., Mo., Kan., N.M. and Calif.; adv. 

 from Eur. 



The oil-rich seeds were formerly used in making soaps and as an illuminant. 



Fam. 65. Capparidaceae Juss. Caper Family 



Herbs (ours), shrubs or trees often with rank odor; leaves alternate, palmately 

 (1-) 3- to 1 1-foliolate; stipules minute or lacking; flowers single and axillary or in 

 terminal bracteate or ebracteate many-flowered racemes, somewhat zygomorphic, 

 perfect, 4-merous, polypetalous; sepals 4, free or partially fused; petals 4, free; 

 stamens 6 to 27 or more, as long as or longer than petals; nectariferous disk or 

 gland between corolla and stamens frequent; ovary 1, superior; fruit a 2-valved 

 unilocular capsule, usually borne on a slender gynophore (stipe above receptacle) 

 or sessile, with many free-falling seeds or a 2-valved schizocarp with 1- or 2-seeded 

 closed achenelike mericarps (in Wislizenia); seed reniform, the seed coat deeply 

 invaginated. Also spelled Capparaceae. 



About 500 species in about 40 genera, mostly tropical America and Africa, often 

 xerophytic. 



This family is included with full knowledge that practically all of its species in 

 our region can be found in xeric habitats. Since, however, some also tolerate peri- 

 odically inundated or excessively wet places we consider that they fall within the 

 province of our research. 



1. Fruits 2-parted schizocarps, with each of the 2 valves (1-2 mm. long) closely 

 and permanently enclosing its single seed and falling with it; racemes 



ebracteate (bracts minute), very dense; southwest Texas 



3. Wislizenia 



1. Fruits unilocular capsules with free-falling seeds; racemes bracteate or flowers 



singly in the axils of cauline leaves (2) 



2(1). Capsules elongate, many-seeded, 1-8 cm. long; petals white, yellow, pink 

 or purple 1. Cleotne 



2. Capsules rhomboidal, few-seeded, 4-8 mm. long, as wide as or wider than long, 



the valves laterally expanded cones; petals yellow 2. Cleomella 



1. Cleome L. SproER Flower. Cleome 



Erect slender to robust annual (ours) or perennial herbs, shrubs or small "trees," 

 glabrous or glandular-pubescent, often spiny; leaves palmately 1- to 1 1-foliolate; 

 leaflets entire or serrulate, flat or conduplicate; stipules none or minute; racemes 

 terminal, greatly elongating in fruit, bracteate or flowers singly in axils of cauline 

 leaves; corolla open or closed in bud; sepals 4, free or fused at base; petals 4, 

 subequal, free, white, yellow, pink or purple, spatulate, entire, acute to rounded; 

 disk conic, the nectary inconspicuous, sometimes adaxially expanded; stamens 6; 

 anthers elongate, longitudinally dehiscent; capsules elongate, pendent, deflexed or 

 erect, sessile or born on a stipe (gynophore); seeds many, the invagination open 

 (if very narrow) or fused by a membrane. 



About 150 species, mostly of tropical America and Africa, often of arid habitats. 



Doves, pheasants and small mammals are said to eat the seeds of most species. 



1. Petals yellow; leaflets of lowermost leaves 5 or 7 1. C. lutea. 



1. Petals pink to pink-purplish; leaflets 3 (2) 



987 



