Cleome monophylla L.

Global description

Cleome monophylla is a species with alternate leaves, simple and lanceolate. The whole plant is finely pubescent, without glandular hairs. The flowers are solitary, small and pink in color. The fruit is a linear capsule containing numerous orbicular seeds, split laterally and strongly wrinkled.

Cotyledons

The cotyledons are elliptical to lanceolate. The petiole is almost as long as the blade. The lamina is 15 to 20 mm long and 4 mm wide.

First leaves

The first leaves are alternate and simple. The blade is lanceolate, long petiolate.

General habit

The port is erected. The plant can grow in single or branched axis from the base. It measures up to 50 cm high.

Underground system

A taproot.

Stem

The stem is cylindrical and solid. It is finely striated longitudinally and covered with a short pubescence of white hairs usually not glandular.

Leaf

The leaves are alternate and simple. They are borne by a petiole 10-12 mm long for the leaves of the base, and progressively shorter towards the top of the plant. The blade is lanceolate, narrow. It is 2 to 6 cm long and 0.4 to 1.5 cm wide. The top is in acute corner and the base is truncated. Both sides are very short pubescent, especially along the veins. The margin is entire, with very short hairs. The blade is marked by 6 to 12 pinnate veins, particularly visible on the underside.

Flower

The flowers are solitary, arranged in the axils of the leaves. They are borne by a pedicel 7-12 mm long. They are small (5 to 6 mm), purple pink in color and asymmetrical in shape. The petals are upright while the ovary and stamens are very sloping and come out of the flower. The calyx is composed of 4 lanceolate sepals 2 to 3 mm long. The 4 petals of the corolla are almost equal, they are 3 to 4 mm long and 1.5 mm wide. The upper part is broad and rounded at the top, with a short mucron, the lower third is very narrow. The 6 stamens are all fertile, 5 to 6 mm long. The ovary is elongate, finely pubescent and 4 to 6 mm long. It is surmounted by a curved short style at the moment of flower blooming.

Fruit

The fruits are linear capsules with two valves completely dehiscent. They are erected obliquely at the top of their pedicel. They are 3 to 7 cm long and 2 mm in diameter. Both ends are attenuate in point. The tegument are slightly bumpy, finely striated longitudinally and finely pubescent. One capsule contains 8 to 35 seeds.

Seed

The seeds are rolled up on themselves, of orbicular shape, slightly flattened laterally. They measure 1.6 mm in diameter. The tegument is dark brown in color and has strong transverse lines.

https://www.gbif.org/species/3871779