Polanisia trachysperma Torr. & A. Gray
Polanisia dodecandra (L.) DC. ssp. trachysperma (Torr. & A. Gray) Iltis
Large-flowered redwhisker clammyweed, sandyseed clammyweed
Even without its rather goofy-sounding name to remind you, redwhisker clammyweed would be easy to pick out of a lineup. “Redwhisker” is for the long red stamens poking out of the flowers, and “clammyweed” for the sticky feeling left after handling the plant. This species is related to capers and to spiderflowers.
Plants: 1–2′ (30–60 cm) tall. The stem is usually unbranched, and green to reddish purple. Both the stem and leaves are covered with sticky hairs. The plant has a strong odor.
Leaves: Near the base of the plant, leaves are in groups of three. Further up the stem, they are single, alternate, elliptic, and nearly sessile. The upper leaves remain roughly constant in size along the stem, at up to 1½ ⨉ ½″ (3.8 ⨉ 1.3 cm). Leaf tips may be blunt or pointed.
Flowers: Clusters of flowers are about 3″ (7.6 cm) around and up to 8″ (20 cm) high. Each flower has four white notched petals up to ⅜″ (9.5 mm) long, with prominent red stamens that are more than twice the length of the petals. Flowers appear from July to September.
Fruits: Yellowish green pods, on reddish stems emerging almost horizontally from the main stem, are angled upward. They remind me of a cross between a pea pod and a milkweed pod, though they are not related to either of these. Like the rest of the plant, the fruits are covered with sticky hairs.
Habitats: Full sun and moderately moist to dry, gravelly or sandy soil. They are found on river banks, streamsides, roadsides, and other disturbed sites.
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Somewhat similar species. |
Online References:
Polanisia dodecandra (L.) DC. var. trachysperma (Torr. & A. Gray) Iltis
Polanisia trachysperma Torr. & A. Gray
Polanisia trachysperma Torr. & A. Gray
8/31/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 6 × 7″ (16 × 18 cm) 
8/31/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 8 × 10″ (21 × 25 cm) 
8/31/2014 · New Mexico · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 16 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Brassicales | Mustard, cabbage, caper, papaya, nasturtiums, many others; most produce mustard oil |
| Family | Cleomaceae | Caper family |
| Genus | Polanisia | From the Greek polys, “many,” and anisos, “unequal,” referring to the stamens |
| Species | dodecandra | Having twelve stamens |
| ssp. | trachysperma | From the Greek trachys, “rough,” and sperma, “seed.” |
Polanisia dodecandra ssp. trachysperma description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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