Bladderpod Spiderflower

Peritoma arborea
Cleome isomeris

Cleome isomeris photo © by Mike Plagens

Photo taken near Cottonwood Spring, Joshua Tree National Monument, California, 02 May 2010.

FLOWERS: Bright yellow flowers are most common after good winter-spring rains, but may appear at other times of year also.

FRUIT: Small seeds inside a highly inflated bladder-like pod.

trifoliate leaf of Cleome isomeris, photo © by Mike Plagens
LEAVES: Leaves have three elyptic segments.

SHRUB: A medium sized shrub with many slender branches. Twigs very pale gray to almost white.

RANGE: A few isolate populations in far western Arizona; much more common in southern California deserts.

UNARMED: No thorns present.

Family: Caparidaceae or Cleomaceae

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Copyright Michael J. Plagens, page created 15 April 2011,
updated 24 Oct. 2015.