Bladderpod Spiderflower
Peritoma arborea
Cleome isomeris
Photo taken near Cottonwood Spring, Joshua Tree National Monument, California, 02 May 2010.
FLOWERS: Bright yellow flowers are most common after good winter-spring
rains, but may appear at other times of year also.
FRUIT: Small seeds inside a highly inflated bladder-like pod.
LEAVES: Leaves have three elyptic segments.
SHRUB: A medium sized shrub with many slender branches. Twigs very pale
gray to almost white.
RANGE: A few isolate populations in far western Arizona; much more
common in southern California deserts.
UNARMED: No thorns present.