372 MISC. PUBLICATION 42 3, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



3. Cleome lutea Hook., Fl. Bor. Amer. 1: 70. 1830. 



Peritoma brevifiorum Woot. and Standi., Contrib. U. S. Natl. 

 Herbarium 16: 128. 1913. 



Apache County to Coconino and Yavapai Counties, also at Sonoita 

 (Santa Cruz County), 4,800 to 6,000 feet, mostly along streams, 

 May to June (and probably later). . Nebraska to Washington, south 

 to New Mexico, Arizona, and eastern California. 



Peritoma brevifiorum is a form with relatively small flowers and pods 

 and short stipes. 



4. Cleome jonesii (Macbride) Tidestrom, Biol. Soc. Wash. Proc. 48: 



39. 1935. 



Cleome lutea var. jonesii Macbride, Contrib. Gray Herbarium 

 65: 39. 1922. 



Yavapai and Mohave Counties to Santa Cruz and Pima Counties, 

 1,000 to 4,200 feet, sandy soil along streams, May to September, type 

 from the Verde River Valley, Yavapai County (W. W. Jones 168). 

 Known only from Arizona. 



Although intergrading occasionally with C. lutea, the distinguishing 

 characters given in the key and the lower altitudinal and more southern 

 geographical range of this form seem to warrant maintaining it as a 

 species. The stems reach a height of 1.8 m. 



2. CLEOMELLA 54 



Plants annual; stems erect and branching above, or diffuse; leaves 

 3-foliolate or the upper ones reduced to 1 leaflet; pedicels subtended 

 by small bracts or by leaves of normal size; petals sessile or nearly so, 

 yellow; stamens 6, inserted on a short receptacle; capsules seldom 

 longer than broad, the valves concave, hemispheric or conic; seeds 

 usually few. 



The species mostly prefer saline soil. 



Key to the species 



1. Leaflets obovate, less than 3 times as long as wide, very obtuse, pubescent, 



somewhat succulent; flowers not in definite racemes, crowded at the ends 



of the stems and branches in the axils of not greatly reduced leaves; stems 



diffusely branched from the base; stipules conspicuous, white, filiform- 



- la<;iniate; stipes not more than 6 mm. long, becoming reflexed. 



1. C. OBTUSIFOLIA. 



I. Leaflets linear, oblong, or oblanceolate, 3 or more times as long as wide, gla- 

 brous; flowers in definite terminal racemes and subtended by greatly 

 reduced leaves or bracts; stems normally erect and not branched from the 

 base; stipules inconspicuous, often reduced to a mere bristle; stipes spread- 

 ing or somewhat deflexed (2) . 

 2. Stipes in fruit 7 to 20 mm. long; leaflets commonly oblanceolate; inflores- 

 cence becoming elongate, often 5 cm. long or longer, appearing naked 

 or nearly so, the bracts very small, much shorter than the pedicels; 

 stems up to 80 cm. long; capsules 3 to 6 mm. long, the valves irregularly 



conic; seeds broadly ovoid 2. C. longipes. 



2. Stipes in fruit not more than 10 mm. long; leaflets linear or linear-lanceolate; 

 inflorescence not conspicuously elongate, commonly not more than 3 

 cm. long, the bracts large, often equaling the pedicels; stems 20 to 40 

 cm. long; capsules 2 to 3 mm. long, rhombic, the valves broadly deltoid; 

 seeds obovoid, often mottled 3. C. plocasperma. 





"Reference: Payson, E. C. a synoptical kevision of the genus cleomella. Wyo. Univ. Pubs. 

 Pot. 1: 29-46. 1922. 



