Spiny-caper [Greek oxys, sharp, and stylos, pillar, alluding to style]

Staria S. Vanderpool

Herbs, annual (unpleasantly scented). Stems unbranched, or sparsely branched laterally; glabrous or glabrate. Leaves: stipules 3-8-palmatifid, minute; petiole without pulvinus (slightly longer than leaflets); leaflets 3. Inflorescences axillary (from distal leaves), racemes (flat-topped); bracts present. Flowers actinomorphic; sepals persistent, distinct, equal (each often subtending a nectary); petals equal; stamens 6; filaments inserted on a spheroidal gynophore, glabrous; anthers (ellipsoid), coiling as pollen is released; gynophore sharply deflexed in fruit (stout, style spinelike in fruit). Fruits schizocarps (didymous, deflexed), indehiscent, obovoid. Seeds 2, reniform, not arillate. x = 10.

Species 1: sw United States.

Lower Taxon

• Oxystylis lutea Torrey & Frémont