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Scientific Name | Polanisia dodecandra | USDA PLANTS Symbol |
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Common Name | Clammyweed, Redwhisker Clammyweed | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. |
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Family | Cleomaceae (Cleome) | SEINet Reference |
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Description | Habitat: Sandy or gravelly soils; disturbed areas, open areas, roadsides, streambanks. Plant: Upright slender or bushy annual 1 to 3 feet tall, much-branched; covered with sticky, glandular hairs. Leaves: Trifoliate with oblanceolate to obovate or broadly elliptic leaflets; becoming single, petiolate, along stems near the flower head; 3/8 to 1-5/8 inches long. Inflorescence: Dense racemes 2 to 8 inches across of 15 to 30 flowers with 4 white petals up to 3/8-inch long; 6 to 20 pink to purple stamens, 3/8 to 1-1/4 inches long, much longer than the petals. Fruit: Erect capsules 1 to 3 inches long with dull reddish to dark brown seeds inside. Bloom Period: May to June. References: "Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country" by Marshall Enquist, "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston and SEINet. Notes: Appears similar to the less common Polanisia uniglandulosa below. P. dodecandra has smaller flowers and fewer but longer stamens, and the seeds are not shiny. |
BONAP Distribution Map![]() |
Texas Status: Native |
Scientific Name | Polanisia uniglandulosa | USDA PLANTS Symbol |
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Common Name | Mexican Clammyweed | ITIS Taxonomic Serial No. |
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Family | Cleomaceae (Cleome) | SEINet Reference |
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Description | Habitat: Sandy or gravelly areas in arroyos, riverbeds, roadsides, and pastures. Plant: Erect annual 8 to 32 inches tall, much-branched; stems and leaves covered with sticky, glandular hairs. Leaves: Alternate, petiolate, trifoliate with broadly elliptic to oblanceolate leaflets; becoming single along stems near the flower head; 3/4 to 1-5/8 inches long. Inflorescence: Dense racemes 2 to 8 inches across of 15 to 30 flowers with 4 white petals; 20 to 27 pink to purple stamens 3/4 to 2 inches long, much longer than the petals. Fruit: Erect capsules 2-3/8 to 4 inches long with dark reddish brown, smooth shiny seeds inside. Bloom Period: May to October. References: "Manual of the Vascular Plants of Texas" by Correll and Johnston and SEINet. Notes: See note above re: P. dodecandra |
BONAP Distribution Map![]() |
Texas Status: Native |