Cleomella refracta

Jackass-clover

Family: Cleomaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Jackass-clover is a California native annual found in southern Mojave Desert and northern Sonoran Desert in sandy washes, roadsides, and alkaline flats at elevations of 90 to 1,160 meters. Flowering from April to October, this plant produces bright yellow flowers in small dense racemes, with elliptic petals 1.5 to 4.5 millimeters long. Growing up to 2 meters tall with much-branched green to tan stems that spread widely from the base, it forms an open, sprawling structure. Its leaves are composed of three ovate leaflets 7 to 30 millimeters long, each about two to three times longer than wide. The small fruit develops into two nutlets, each measuring 1.2 to 3.3 millimeters in length.

Habitat: Sandy washes, roadsides, alkaline flats

Bloom period: Apr-Oct

Elevation: 90-1160 m

Bioregions: s DMoj, n DSon

California counties: Riverside, San Bernardino, Kern

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