''Cleomella'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s. It includes 22 species of native to North America, ranging from southern Mexico through the western and central United States to western and central Canada. Like their relatives, the

cleome ''Cleome'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cleomaceae, commonly known as spider flowers, spider plants, spider weeds, or bee plants. Previously, it had been placed in the family Capparaceae, until DNA studies found the Cleomaceae ge ...

s, plants of this genus have traditionally been included in the caper family

Capparaceae The Capparaceae (or Capparidaceae), commonly known as the caper family, are a family of plants in the order Brassicales. As currently circumscribed, the family contains 15 genera and about 430 species. The largest genera are ''Capparis'' (about 1 ...

but have recently been moved into a new family,

Cleomaceae The Cleomaceae are a small family of flowering plants in the order Brassicales, comprising about 220 species in two genera, '' Cleome'' and '' Cleomella''. These genera were previously included in the family Capparaceae, but were raised to a dis ...

. ''Cleomella'' are annual wildflowers native to the dry and desert regions of western North America. They are similar to cleomes in appearance. They are erect and branching with leaves divided into three leaflets and

inflorescence In botany, an inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a plant's Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a mai ...

s of yellow flowers with long

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s. ''Cleomella'' species are known commonly as stinkweeds or simply cleomellas. 22 species are accepted. *'' Cleomella angustifolia'' – narrowleaf rhombopod *'' Cleomella arborea'' – bladderpod *'' Cleomella brevipes'' – shortstalk stinkweed *'' Cleomella californica'' –

San Joaquin Valley, California The San Joaquin Valley ( ; Spanish: ''Valle de San Joaquín'') is the southern half of California's Central Valley. Famed as a major breadbasket, the San Joaquin Valley is an important source of food, producing a significant part of Californi ...

*'' Cleomella hillmanii'' – Hillman's stinkweed *'' Cleomella jaliscensis'' *'' Cleomella jonesii'' *'' Cleomella longipes'' – Chiricahua Mountain stinkweed *'' Cleomella lutea'' *'' Cleomella macbrideana'' - MacBride cleomella *'' Cleomella mexicana'' *'' Cleomella multicaulis'' *'' Cleomella obtusifolia'' – Mojave stinkweed *''

Cleomella oxystyloides ''Cleomella oxystyloides'' is a species of flowering plants in the cleome family, Cleomaceae, which is known by the common name spiny caper. It is native to the Mojave Desert straddling the border between California and Nevada. It grows in rocky ...

'' *'' Cleomella palmeri'' –

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora (), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is divided into Municipalities of Sonora, 72 ...

Baja California Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...

, and

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur, is a state in Mexico. It is the 31st and last state to be admitted, in 1974. It is also the second least populated Mexican state and the ninth-largest state by ...

, as well as from

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

and Riverside Counties in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Calflora Taxon Report
/ref> *'' Cleomella palmeriana'' – Rocky Mountain stinkweed *'' Cleomella parviflora'' – slender stinkweed *'' Cleomella perennis'' *'' Cleomella platycarpa'' *'' Cleomella plocasperma'' – twisted cleomella *'' Cleomella refracta'' – northern Mexico (Chihuahua and Sonora) and southwestern United States *'' Cleomella serrulata'' *'' Cleomella sparsifolia''

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment
Brassicales genera Flora of Northern America {{Brassicales-stub