Cleome

Annual or perennial herbs, often somewhat woody at base; stems usually striate, glabrous to viscid, glandular-hispid and aromatic. Leaves alternate, simple or digitately 3-13-foliolate, petiolate; leaflets usually narrow and usually entire. Inflorescence a terminal raceme. Flowers usually irregular. Sepals 4, usually free or almost so, persistent or deciduous, usually narrow and often glandular-pubescent. Petals 4, sessile or clawed, equal or unequal, usually longer than sepals. Stamens 4-many, all fertile or some sterile, borne on a small torus or receptacle or on a long or short androgynophore; filaments equal or unequal, usually declinate; anthers 2-thecous, usually oblong or narrowly oblong, sometimes with a small, apical projection. Ovary sessile or with a short gynophore, with many ovules on 2 parietal placentas; style short or 0; stigma capitate or truncate. Fruit an oblong or linear capsule, often borne on an elongated gynophore, opening by 2 valves separating from seed-bearing placentas, terminating in persistent style; valves glabrous to glandular-pubescent, smooth or strongly longitudinally nerved. Seeds reniform to almost circular in outline, surface almost smooth or reticulate-foveolate to transversely rugose, glabrous or pubescent. x= 10 (aneuploids, high polyploidy).