Wislizenia
Encyclopedia
Wislizenia is a monotypic genus of flowering plant containing the single species Wislizenia refracta, which is known by the common names spectacle fruit and jackass clover. Like genus Cleome
and several relatives, Wislizenia has traditionally been included in the caper family, Capparaceae
, but has more recently been moved to the new family Cleomaceae
. This is an erect, branching herb which forms a low, scrubby bush. It extends many dense raceme
s topped with densely-packed flowers. The flowers are mustard-yellow and bear plentiful thready stamens which form a cloud about the inflorescence. The distinctive fruit is a conjoined pair of hard, tan nutlet
s containing the seeds. The foliage of this plant is toxic, but it is utilized readily by honeybees, making it a good honey plant. Wislizenia is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.
Cleome
Cleome is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cleomaceae. Previously it had been placed in family Capparaceae, until DNA studies found the Cleomaceae genera to be more closely related to Brassicaceae than Capparaceae...
and several relatives, Wislizenia has traditionally been included in the caper family, Capparaceae
Capparaceae
Capparaceae , commonly known as the Caper family, is a family of plants in order Brassicales. As currently circumscribed, it contains 33 genera and about 700 species...
, but has more recently been moved to the new family Cleomaceae
Cleomaceae
Cleomaceae is a small family of flowering plants in the order Brassicales, comprising about 300 species in 10 genera. These genera were previously included in the family Capparaceae, but were raised to a distinct family when DNA evidence showed that the genera included in it are more closely...
. This is an erect, branching herb which forms a low, scrubby bush. It extends many dense raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
s topped with densely-packed flowers. The flowers are mustard-yellow and bear plentiful thready stamens which form a cloud about the inflorescence. The distinctive fruit is a conjoined pair of hard, tan nutlet
Nutlet
Nutlet may refer to one of the following.*A small nut.*In botany, a nutlet is a pyrena or pyrene, which is a seed covered by a stony layer, such as the kernel of a drupe....
s containing the seeds. The foliage of this plant is toxic, but it is utilized readily by honeybees, making it a good honey plant. Wislizenia is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.