488 CAPPAKIDACEAE 



usually numerous, conduplicately bent, with a membranous leathery or crus- 

 taceous testa. Endosperm wanting. Embryo bent, with flat or convolute 

 cotyledons. 



Herbs or herbaceous plants : fruit a 2-valved capsule. 



Receptacle neither elevated nor elongated, with or without an appendage. 

 Appendage present : filaments distinct. 



Appendage tubular : petals with laciniate or dissected blades. 1. CRISTATELLA. 



Appendage solid : petals entire or notched at the apex. 



Petals very unequal, barely clawed : capsules with deciduous valves. 2. ALDENELLA. 

 Petals nearly equal, long-clawed : capsules opening near the apex. 3. POLANISIA. 



Appendage wan ting: filaments united below and adnate to the stalk of the ovary. 4. PEDICELLARIA. 

 Receptacle elevated or elongated. 



Appendage wanting : petals sessile : capsule thicker than broad. * 5. CLEOMELLA. 



Appendage present : petals short-clawed : capsule broader than thick. 6. CLEOME. 



Shrubs or trees : fruit baccate, or a pulpy capsule, sometimes opening irregularly. 7. CAPPARIS. 



1. CRISTATELLA Nutt. 



Slender viscid-glandular herbs. Leaves alternate, without stipules : blades palmately 

 3-foliolate : leaflets narrow, entire. Flowers small, irregular, white or yellow, in terminal 

 leafy-bracted racemes. Sepals 4, united at the base, deciduous. Receptacle developed 

 between the posterior petal and ovary into a tubular appendage (gland) as long as the 

 anterior petals. Petals 4, hypogynous : blades strikingly unequal, more or less fan-shaped 

 and cuneately narrowed into slender claws, of 2 forms, the anterior small, dissected into 

 5-9 narrow lobes which are 2-3-cleft at the apex, the posterior larger, toothed or laciniate 

 at the apex. Stamens 6-14, declined: filaments filiform, unequal (when more than 6), 

 distinct : anthers sagittate. Ovary elongated, somewhat declined, short-stalked : style 

 slender, short : stigma blunt. Capsule elongated, silique-like, slightly flattened, with 2 

 reticulated valves. Seeds numerous, conduplicate. 



Blades of large petals about 3 mm. long : mature stipe only slightly longer than the gland. 1. C. Jamesii. 

 Blades of large petals about 6 mm. long : mature stipe twice as long as the gland. 2. C. erosa. 



1. Cristatella Jamesii T. & G. Foliage glandular-pilose. Stems 1-4 dm. tall, 

 simple, or branching above : leaf -blades 3-foliolate ; petioles much shorter than the leaflets ; 

 leaflets 1-2.5 cm. long, with linear obtuse entire, more or less revolute, nearly sessile 

 blades : racemes 3-8 cm. long : bracts mostly like the leaves but smaller : sepals oblong, 

 about 2 mm. long, obtuse : petals 4 ; claws shorter than the blades ; blades various, the 2 

 upper with incised, the 2 lower laciniate at the apex : capsules linear, 1.5-2.5 cm. long, 

 densely glandular, much longer than the pedicels. 



In sandy soil, Nebraska to Louisiana and Texas. Spring to fall. 



2. Cristatella erosa Nutt. Foliage glandular-pubescent. Stems 2-6 dm. tall, 

 simple below, branching above : leaf-blades 3-foliolate ; petioles shorter than the leaflets, 

 swollen at the base ; leaflets 1-2 cm. long, with linear obtuse or acutish, entire, often short- 

 petioluled blades : racemes 2-10 cm. long : bracts like the leaves but smaller : sepals 

 oblong, 3-3.5 mm. long, obtuse : petals 4, the 2 upper with claws, longer than the many- 

 parted blades : capsules linear, 2.5-3 mm. long, about twice as long as the pedicels. *. 



In dry or sandy soil, Arkansas to the Indian Territory and Texas. Spring and summer. 



2. ALDENELLA Greene. 



Annual caulescent herbs, with somewhat glandular foliage. Leaves alternate, Avithout 

 stipules : blades 3-foliolate : leaflets with very narrow blades. Flowers irregular, in termi- 

 nal racemes. Sepals 4, imbricated, reflexed. Receptacle developed into a solid gland on 

 the upper side. Petals 4, very unequal, those of the smaller pair scarcely \ as large as 

 those of the larger pair, entire, spreading, barely clawed. Stamens 9-11 ; filaments un- 

 equal, slightly declined : anthers introrse. Ovary elongated, short-stipitate : style de- 

 clined and curved : stigma capitate. Capsule elongated, very narrow, silique-like, the two 

 valves readily deciduous. Seeds numerous, conduplicate. 



1. Aldenella tenuifolia (T. & G. ) Greene. Foliage glandular. Stems 2-8 dm. tall, 

 branching, often diffusely so : leaf-blades 3-foliolate ; petioles filiform ; leaflets with linear- 

 filiform entire blades somewhat longer than the petioles : racemes 0.5-2.5 dm. long : bracts 

 like the leaves, or the upper ones 1-foliolate : sepals oblong to oblong-ovate, 2-2.5 mm. 

 long, acute : petals white, oval to ovate, 6-8 mm. long, entire, unequal, the claws very 

 short : stamens usually 9-11 ; filaments filiform-clavate : capsules linear, 4-6 cm. long, 

 sharp-pointed, short-stipitate, several times longer than the pedicels : seeds 0.6 mm. broad, 

 minutely wrinkled. [Polanisia tenuifolia T. & G.] 



In sandy soil, Georgia and Florida. Spring to fall. 



