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 Leaves Anthony Mendoza @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ |  Plant Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) | | | | |
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Origin:
Native
Life Cycle:
Annual or perennial
General Desc:
Sturdy, many branched plant with erect, smooth stems and clover-like leaves divided into 3 segments. Yellow blooms are very dense near the top of an elongated flower stalk which appears feathery due to the small flower petals and many protruding stamens.
Identification notes: Stems smooth; leaflets 3, 1-1/2 to 4 times longer than wide, oblong, margins smooth, tip pointed to rounded; flowers yellow, dense on elongated stems, anthers 1/16 inch wide; fruits dry, composed of multiple chambers that separate, occur in pairs.
Height:
To about 6 feet
Habitat Description: Sandy or alkaline (chalky) soils in deserts and arid grassland, drainage areas, stream beds and fields. Frequently growing along roads and washes (areas having surface water for brief periods).
Plant Communities:
Desert Scrub, Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Riparian, Disturbed Areas
Elevation: 1000 - 6500 feet
Color:
Yellow
Shape:
Regular in elongated clusters
Tubular:
N
Flowering Period:
Mar - Oct
Description:
Each flower has 4 yellow oblong petals and is about 1/2 inch across. Below the flower are 4 green leaf-like sepals united at the base, each about 1/8 inch long. Flowers grow in clusters around the upper fourth of the stem and bloom from the bottom up.
Leaf Color:
Light green
Leaf Type:
Compound
Leaf Shape:
Round or oval
Leaf Margin:
Smooth
Leaf Attachment:
Alternate
Leaves Clasp:
N
Hairs:
Need value
Spines:
U
Leaf Description:
Leaves have a strong, rancid, unpleasant smell. They have a "clover-like" appearance with oblong-shaped leaflets up to 1-1/2 inches long and to 3/4 inch wide. Each leaflet has a short, sharp to rounded tip. Stems are upright and branched from the base.
Fruit Color: Yellowish-brown to brown
Fruit Notes: Fruit is a shizocarp. It's dry, 2-seeded, 1/16 to 1/8 inch long and 1/16 inch wide. When mature, it splits into twin, 1-seeded, round "spectacle-shaped" segments that have bent stalks. Each segment is about 1/8 inch long with a rough, wrinkled surface.
Seed Notes: Tiny seeds are less than 1/16 inch long.
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