''Wislizenia'' is a genus of flowering plants containing three recognized species native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Common names include spectacle fruit and jackass clover. Like genus ''

Cleome ''Cleome'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cleomaceae, commonly known as spider flowers, spider plants, spider weeds, or bee plants. Previously, it had been placed in the family Capparaceae, until DNA studies found the Cleomaceae ge ...

'' and several relatives, ''Wislizenia'' has traditionally been included in the caper family, Capparaceae, but has more recently been moved to the new family Cleomaceae. ''Wislizenia'' is an erect, branching herb which forms a low, scrubby bush. It extends many dense

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

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 A nut is a fruit consisting of a hard or tough nutshell protecting a kernel which is usually edible. In general usage and in a culinary sense, a wide variety of dry seeds are called nuts, but in a botanical context "nut" implies that the shell ...

s containing the seeds. The foliage of this plant is toxic, but it is used readily by honeybees, making it a good honey plant. The genus is named for botanist

Friedrich Adolph Wislizenus Friedrich Adolph Wislizenus (first name sometimes spelled Frederick) (21 May 1810, Königsee – 23 September 1889) was a German-born American MD, explorer and botanist. He is best known for his printed recollections from travels to Northern Mexi ...

, 1810–1889. He was born in Königsee, Germany, but came to the United States in 1837. He spent much time exploring the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, writing memoirs on the botany and human customs of the region.

Species

Three species are currently recognized, although some authors have suggested considering them as subspecies:Flora of North America v 7 p 213
/ref> *'' Wislizenia californica'' Greene,

San Joaquin Valley, California The San Joaquin Valley ( ; es, Valle de San Joaquín) is the area of the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California that lies south of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and is drained by the San Joaquin River. It comprises seven c ...

*'' Wislizenia palmeri'' A. Gray,

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

, Baja California, and

Baja California Sur Baja California Sur (; 'South Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California Sur ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California Sur), is the least populated state and the 31st admitted state of the 32 federal ent ...

, as well as from San Diego and Riverside Counties in CaliforniaCalflora Taxon Report
/ref> *''

Wislizenia refracta ''Cleomella refracta'', common names jackass clover or spectacle fruit, is a species of flowering plant in the cleome family, Cleomaceae. It is native to northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States, particularly Chihuahua, Sonora, tr ...

'' Engelm.,

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

and southwestern United States

References

External links

Jepson Manual Treatment
Cleomaceae Brassicales genera Flora of Mexico Flora of the United States {{Brassicales-stub