Cleomella californica

Family: Cleomaceae · Type: annual · Native

California cleomella is a California native annual found in the San Joaquin Valley in sandy washes, weedy roadsides, and fields at elevations below 125 meters. Flowering from July to November, this plant produces yellow flowers 2.5 to 5 millimeters long with elliptic petals. Growing up to 2.4 meters tall with much-branched green to tan stems, it forms a sprawling, open structure. Its leaves are compound with three leaflets, each ovate to obovate and 4 to 20 millimeters long, approximately twice as long as wide. The plant produces small fruits containing two nutlets, each 1.5 to 3.5 millimeters in size.

Habitat: Sandy washes, weedy roadsides, fields

Bloom period: Jul-Nov

Elevation: < 125 m

Bioregions: SnJV.

California counties: Fresno, Kern, Tulare, Merced, San Joaquin, Madera, Stanislaus, Sacramento

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.