Species: Polanisia dodecandra ssp. dodecandra (L.) DC.

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Polanisia dodecandra ssp. dodecandra (L.) DC.

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TAXONOMY

Family:

Capparidaceae

Genus:

Polanisia

Species Synonyms:

Polanisia graveolens Raf.

Common Names:

clammyweed
redwhisker clammyweed

DISTRIBUTION

Canada:

southern Saskatchewan - southwestern Quebec

Saskatchewan:

southern Saskatchewan; Maple Creek - Mortlach

Ecoregion:

Mixed Grassland, Moist Mixed Grassland

HABITAT

Saskatchewan:

sandy or gravely soils on lakeshores or roadsides

RARITY STATUS

Provincial Status According
to Harms (2003):

Threatened

Nature Conservancy Status:

G4 S2

Saskatchewan Species at
Risk Status:

None

COSEWIC Status:

None

Polanisia dodecandra ssp. dodecandra is threatened because it is rare in the province. It is regionally restricted to two general regions and most local populations are small.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION

Height:

10 – 50 cm

Roots:

taproot

Stems:

annual, branched, viscid-pubescent

Leaves:

cauline, alternate, petiolate, trifoliately compound

Leaflets:

1 – 2.5 cm long, 4 – 6 mm wide, elliptic to oblanceolate, viscid-pubescent

Inflorescence:

raceme bracted, elongating in fruit lower bracts trifoliate; pedicels widely divergent

Flowers:

zygomorphic; calyx purple or green; corolla < 8 mm long, obtuse, yellowish white to pink; gland prominent between corolla and stamens, usually orange; stamens 8 – 16, 8 – 10 mm long, unequal length, staggered maturity; style 1 – 4 mm long, persistent in fruit

Fruits:

capsule 2 – 3 cm long, 3 – 5 mm wide, glandular hairy, stiffly erect; seeds many, reddish brown, minutely wrinkled or tuberculate

*KEY TO POLANISIA* DODECANDRA IN SASKATCHEWAN**
*The two subspecies intergrade in Saskatchewan and can be quite difficult to separate.

1 Petals < 8 mm long, stamens 8 – 10 mm long, barely surpassing the petals	ssp. dodecandra
1 Petals commonly > 8 mm long, stamens 12 – 30 mm long, greatly surpassing the petals	ssp. trachysperma