CAPPARIDACEAE (CAPER FAMILY) 231 



a low simple or branched caudex: stems one from each crown, simple, 1-3 dm. 

 high: herbage grayish-strigose ; basal leaves narrowly oblanceolate, entire or 

 denticulate; cauline linear: petals with slender claws and obovate-cuneate 

 blade, 12-16 mm. long, varying in color from orange or brown to rose-purple 

 or the older to pale yellow: siliques 4-angled, slender, erect, 5-8 cm. long. 

 [E. amoenum Rydb. 1. c. 33: 142. E. cdpestre (Ckll.) Rydb. 1. c. 28: 277. 

 1901.] In the Colorado mountains at lower elevations than the preceding, 

 with E. amoenum as an alpine state. 



49. CAPPARIDACEAE LINDL. CAPER FAMILY 



Ours are erect annual herbs with alternate leaves and regular or irregular 

 perfect hypogynous flowers. Sepals 4. Petals 4. Stamens 6 or more, nearly 

 equal in length. Receptacle usually elongated, often forming a stipe under 

 the fruit which is a 1 -celled capsule, with 2 parietal placentae. Seeds reni- 

 form, the embryo incurved, rather than infolded. 



Stamens 6; capsule stipitate. 



Capsule short, rhomooidal, 2-horned, or subspherical . . . .1. Cleomella. 



Capsule long, oblong or linear 2. Cleome. 



Stamens 8-22; capsule sessile . .3. Polanisia. 



1. CLEOMELLA DC. 



Erect branching annuals with alternate 3-foliolate leaves and yellow racemose 

 flowers. Sepals distinct. Petals 4, not clawed. Stamens 6, on the receptacle. 

 Ovary and capsule filiform-stipitate. Capsule short, rhomboidal, 2-horned, 

 or subspherical, of two deltoid or boat-shaped saccate valves. Seeds few, 

 ovoid or rhomboidal, smooth or variously marked. 



Stipe not more than twice as long as the capsule 1. C. angustifolia. 



Stipe 3 or more times as long as the capsule . . . . . . 2. C. cornuta. 



1. Cleomella angustifolia Torr. in Gray, PI. Wright. 1: 12. 1852. Glabrous, 

 branching above: leaflets oblong-linear: capsule broader than long, several 

 times longer than the style, flattened rhomboid, the valves nearly conical: 

 stipe and pedicels subequal: seeds about 6, transversely rugulose. Colorado 

 and southeastward. 



2. Cleomella cornuta Rydb. Bull. Torr. Bot. Club 30: 249. 1903. Gla- 

 brous, branched from the base: leaflets oblong or narrowly oblanceolate: 

 capsule broadly rhombic, broader than long, the corners somewhat produced 

 into horn-like processes, 2-3 times longer than the beak-like style: stipe 3 or 

 more times as long as the capsule: seeds smooth (?). C. oocarpa. Utah and 

 probably in southwestern Colorado. 



2. CLEOME L. 



Erect branching annuals with digitate or simple leaves and yellow or pink- 

 purple regular or irregular flowers, solitary or in racemes. Sepals distinct 

 or slightly united at base. Petals entire, distinct, more or less clawed. Sta- 

 mens 6, inserted on the narrow receptacle above the petals. Capsule oblong 

 or linear, many-seeded, stipitate, pendent on spreading pedicels. Peritoma 

 in Lit.) 



Flowers pink-purple or nearly white. 



Leaflets lanceolate; capsule 10-30-seeded 1. C. serrulata. 



Leaflets linear; capsule 6-8-seeded . . . . . . . 2. C. sonorae. 



Flowers yellow 3. C. lutea. 



1. Cleome serrulata Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 441. 1814. Glabrous and some- 

 what glaucous: stems erect, at length freely branching, 3-10 dm. high: leaflets 



