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Palmer's Bee Plant, Palmer's Cleomella, Rocky Mountain Stinkweed, Rocky Mountain Rhombopod - Cleomella palmeriana


Family: Cleomaceae - Spiderflower family Genus Common Name: Stinkweed Native Status: NativeDicot Annual Herb Leaves:Compound Leaves:Alternate Leaves:Palmate
Cleomella palmeriana - Palmer's Bee Plant, Palmer's Cleomella, Rocky Mountain Stinkweed, Rocky Mountain Rhombopod.
Cleomella is a small genus of 10 species, 8 of which are native to the United States, from Texas westward. The other 2 species are found in Mexico. Cleomella species are now classified in the Spiderflower (Cleomaceae) family; they were formerly classified in Capparaceae, but DNA studies have shown that they are more closely related to Brassicaceae than Capparaceae.

Cleomella palmeriana - Palmer's Bee Plant - is found in dry gravelly or sandy flats near the four-corners area of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It is rare in Arizona. It can be mistaken for the more widely distributed Yellow Bee Plant (Peritoma lutea, syn. Cleome lutea), but is usually a smaller plant than Yellow Bee Plant. Aside from the fruits, Cleomella palmeriana can be differentiated from Cleome lutea by its green sepals which are not connate; those of Cleome lutea are yellow are are connate for about half their length.

Found in:
AZ, CO, NM, UT

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Cleomella palmeriana

Distribution of Cleomella palmeriana in the United States and Canada:
Map unavailable.
Map courtesy of The Biota of North America Program.
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Site: Grand County, Utah Date: 2019-May-01Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson
Nikon D7000
The inflorescence of Cleomella palmeriana contains several bright yellow flowers. The lower or outer (depending on whether it has formed as a raceme or a corymb) flowers will open first.
Cleomella palmeriana
Site: Grand County, Utah Date: 2019-May-01Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
The flower of Palmer's Bee Plant has 4 oblong yellow petals and 6 extremely exserted yellow stamens.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Cleomella palmeriana
Site: Grand County, Utah Date: 2019-May-01Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
Cleomella palmeriana is a relatively small plant, during inflorescence usually between about 4 and 15 inches tall. The plant branches sparingly, with inflorescences terminating the stems.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Cleomella palmeriana
Site: Grand County, Utah Date: 2019-May-01Photographer: Gerald C Williamson
The leaves are alternate on the glabrous stem, and palmately compound with 3 or 5 narrowly oblong-elliptic leaflets.
Click on the photo for a larger image
Cleomella palmeriana
References used for identification and information:
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Cleomella palmeriana initially published on USWildflowers.com 2019-05-13; Updated 2019-05-13

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All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2024
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Code Update 20230302