Cleomella lutea
Cleomella lutea (Hook.) Roalson & J.C.Hall
Cleomella lutea is a flowering plant in the Cleomaceae family, native to the western United States and parts of northwestern Mexico. It is commonly known as yellow bee plant or yellow spiderflower. This annual wildflower grows in desert scrub and plateau habitats, often reaching over 1 metre in height. It produces bright yellow flowers with four sepals, four petals, and six long stamens. The plant's inflorescence develops from the top down, with blooming flowers at the apex and ripening seed capsules lower on the stem.
Description
Cleomella lutea is an annual wildflower native to California, Colorado, Idaho, Mexico Northwest, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. It thrives in desert scrub and plateau environments. The plant has an erect, often sprawling stem with widely spaced leaves composed of three to five leaflets. The inflorescence is a prominent cluster of bright yellow flowers, each with four narrow sepals and four oblong petals. The flowers are surrounded by a cluster of six long stamens with knob-like anthers. After pollination, the petals drop, and the ovary matures into a capsule fruit several centimeters long. These fruits develop at the base of the inflorescence and hang on pedicels. A single plant may display both blooming flowers at the top and ripening capsules lower on the stem.
Distribution
California · Colorado · Idaho · Mexico Northwest · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Mexico · Oregon · Utah · Washington · Wyoming
Synonyms
Cleome aureaCleome brevifloraCleome luteaPeritoma brevifloraPeritoma aureaPeritoma luteaIsexina aurea