Cleomella hillmanii var. hillmanii

Hillman's cleomella

Family: Cleomaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Hillman's cleomella is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native annual found in the Modoc Plateau in Lassen County's alkaline meadows and flats at elevations of 1,220 to 1,462 meters. Flowering in May, this plant produces small yellow flowers with delicate petals 4 to 8 millimeters long. Growing 5 to 55 centimeters tall with erect, smooth stems that may branch from lower nodes, it forms an elegant upright structure in open meadow environments. Its leaves feature elliptic to ovate leaflets 0.8 to 2.4 centimeters long, carried on slender petioles 2 to 6 centimeters in length. The plant develops narrow capsule fruits 3.5 to 6 millimeters long with distinctive conic valves.

Habitat: Alkaline meadows and flats

Bloom period: May

Elevation: 1220-1462 m

Bioregions: MP (Lassen Co.)

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