Polanisia dodecandra (L.) DC. subsp. dodecandra (Torrey & A. Gray) H. H. Iltis, redwhiskered clammyweed. Annual, taprooted, with several ascending branches, erect, in range to 80 cm tall; shoot with only cauline leaves, with stalked glandular hairs of different lengths, strongly odorous.
Stems cylindric, to 4 mm diameter, often tinged reddish or purplish.
Leaves helically alternate, pinnately–(1–)3–foliolate (1–foliolate on the first small leaf of an axillary shoot), petiolate, without stipules; petiole cylindric but channeled near base, to 3.5 mm long, often tinged rose, abscising just above base; petiolules of lateral leaflets ascending, < 2.5 mm long, lacking pulvinus, yellowish white, of terminal leaflet conspicuously narrow–channeled, emerging from lateral pair of petiolules rotated 90°; blades of leaflets ovate or narrowly ovate to lanceolate to elliptic, 7—35+ × 4—16+ mm, tapered to broadly tapered at base, entire, acute at tip, pinnately veined with principal veins conspicuously sunken on upper surface and raised on lower surface, upper surface dull.
Inflorescence raceme, terminal, erect, many–flowered, ± flat–topped with flowers at level of buds, flowers helically alternate, bracteate, glandular–hairy with mixed lengths of hairs; bractlet subtending pedicel 1–foliolate leaflike, petiolate or subsessile, petiole to 2.3 mm long, often purplish to midpoint, glandular–hairy, blade at the lowest node to 12 × 8 mm decreasing upward to 4 × 2.5 mm and folded upward along midvein; pedicel straight–ascending, cylindric, at anthesis to 11 mm long increasing 1.5× and spreading in fruit, pinkish rose above midpoint and approaching flower, with persistent nectary at fruit base and lacking stipe beneath erect fruit.
Flower bisexual, bilateral, ± 15 mm across; sepals 4, sometimes 2—3 sepals on upper (adaxial) side fused with short tube (bilateral), 3 adaxial sepals acuminate–lanceolate, at anthesis ± 4 × 1.2—1.3 mm, lower (abaxial) sepal cupping shorter stamens and ovate, sepals growing during flowering, mostly green with some reddish purple, 5–veined from base, lower surface of sepals glandular–hairy, upper (inner) surface with short glandular hairs; petals 4(—5), long–clawed with limbs spreading, 5—6.5 mm long, claw 3—4 mm long, pinkish to light pink–purple, limb fan–shaped notched at tip, ca. 3 × 2 mm but upper and lower pairs slightly unequal, white and pink, pink–lavender, or pink with rose, pinnately veined; nectary disc well–developed, on adaxial side with smaller sepals next to bases of to 8 filaments, with ovoid base 2 mm diameter and cuplike at top, orange with purplish or purplish red, cup with frilled rim, 2 mm diameter, rim butterfly–shaped and 1.5 × 0.5 mm; stamens (12—)16 unevenly distributed in 4 groups, 8 next to nectary, free, exserted; filaments unequal, in bud short during flowers growing to 8 mm long, 8 long and 8 short, in bud green aging light pink–purple or rose, glabrous; anthers basifixed but appearing versatile, dithecal, ca. 1.3 mm long, purplish, longitudinally dehiscent; pollen whitish; pistil 1, 11 mm long, not borne on a stalk (gynophore); ovary superior, ellipsoid, ca. 7.5 × 1.5 mm, colorless with rose–red purplish suture, covered with glandular hairs, 1–chambered with many ovules formed in 2 rows along septum; style exserted from bud, 2.5 mm long, rose–red purple with several glandular hairs; stigma terminal, 0.2 mm diameter, purple.
Fruit capsule, ascending to suberect on spreading pedicel, lacking a gynophore, dehiscent by 2 valves from top downward to midpoint, many–seeded, cylindric and somewhat inflated, 43—53 × 4—5.7 mm, with an acute tip, valves ± papery, with stalked glandular hairs.
Seed somewhat snail–like (strongly curved like embryo) with a ⊥ groove, 2—2.2 × 2—2.2 × 1.3—1.4 mm, dark brown and minutely roughened (domed cells) enhanced with a network of pits and lighter brown to golden brown, poorly defined ridges and larger flares.
A. C. Gibson