Species: Cleome lutea
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Yellow Bee Plant is an annual herb with simple to branched stems that are 10-30 cm high. The leaves have long, 2-6 cm petioles and 3-5 narrowly lance-shaped, 2-6 cm long leaflets that are arranged like the fingers on a hand. Foliage is glabrous to sparsely hairy with a thin, pale, waxy coating. The yellow flowers are borne on 10-20 mm long, ascending stalks, and are densely clustered in a globular inflorescence that greatly expands as the fruit matures. Each flower is subtended by a green bract; the lowest flowers resemble leaves, while the uppermost are short and narrow. Flowers have a 4-lobed calyx and 4 separate petals that are 5-8 mm long. There are 6 stamens, which are greatly exserted beyond the petals. The pod-like capsules are 15-35 mm long and borne on arching stalks that are as long as the fruit.
Classification
Dicotyledoneae
Capparales
Capparaceae
Cleome
NatureServe
Classification
Ecology and Life History
Yellow Bee Plant is an annual herb with simple to branched stems that are 10-30 cm high. The leaves have long, 2-6 cm petioles and 3-5 narrowly lance-shaped, 2-6 cm long leaflets that are arranged like the fingers on a hand. Foliage is glabrous to sparsely hairy with a thin, pale, waxy coating. The yellow flowers are borne on 10-20 mm long, ascending stalks, and are densely clustered in a globular inflorescence that greatly expands as the fruit matures. Each flower is subtended by a green bract; the lowest flowers resemble leaves, while the uppermost are short and narrow. Flowers have a 4-lobed calyx and 4 separate petals that are 5-8 mm long. There are 6 stamens, which are greatly exserted beyond the petals. The pod-like capsules are 15-35 mm long and borne on arching stalks that are as long as the fruit.