Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Malvids: Brassicales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Tarenaya houtteana
FAMILY
Cleomaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Read more about Spiderflower at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cleome hassleriana
FAMILY
Capparaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Tarenaya hassleriana
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 7 (2010)
Tarenaya hassleriana
SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 087-01-001:
Cleome houtteana FAMILY Capparaceae
INCLUDING & INCLUDED WITHIN (MISAPPLIED) Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Cleome spinosa
INCLUDING & INCLUDED WITHIN (MISAPPLIED) Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Neocleome spinosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED) -
Tarenaya spinosa
COMMON NAME:
Cleome, Spiderflower, Pinkqueen
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
)
JK Marlow jkm100702_068
July Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
)
JK Marlow jkm100702_072
July Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
Leaflets 5 or 7, blade elliptic to oblanceolate, margins serrulate-denticulate, apex acute, per Flora of North America.
)
JK Marlow jkm100702_081
July Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
Petals in bud are pale, turning deep pink upon opening; by morning again a pale pink or white, per Weakley's Flora (2023).
)
JK Marlow jkm100702_088
July Greenville County SC
Swamp Rabbit Trail
)
JK Marlow jkm230919_5507
September Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm230919_5508
September Greenville County SC
)
JK Marlow jkm230919_5509
September Greenville County SC
Stems sparsely branched; glandular-pubescent, per Flora of North America.
)
JK Marlow jkm230919_5510
September Greenville County SC
Petals clawed, claw 1-1.5cm long. Filaments 4-6cm long (longer than petals), per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
JK Marlow jkm230919_5513
September Greenville County SC
Fruit about as long as gynophore [elongated stalk bearing the pistil], gynophore 45-80mm, per Weakley's Flora (2023).
)
JK Marlow jkm230919_5514
September Greenville County SC
Leaves: stipular spines 1-3mm; petiole 2.5-7.5cm, glandular-pubescent, with scattered spines 1-3mm, per Flora of North America.
)
JK Marlow jkm230919_5516
September Greenville County SC
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (2/10/25):
Tarenaya houtteana
FAMILY
Cleomaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Cleome hassleriana
FAMILY
Capparaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Tarenaya hassleriana
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America north of Mexico, vol. 7
Tarenaya hassleriana
SYNONYMOUS WITH
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 087-01-001:
Cleome houtteana
FAMILY
Capparaceae
INCLUDING & INCLUDED WITHIN (MISAPPLIED)
Britton & Brown Illus Flora of Northeast US & adjacent Canada (Gleason, 1952)
Cleome spinosa
INCLUDING & INCLUDED WITHIN (MISAPPLIED)
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Neocleome spinosa
SYNONYMOUS WITH (MISAPPLIED)
-
Tarenaya spinosa
3500
Forb
Annual
Habitat: Gardens, disturbed areas, sandbars, riverbanks, persistent and self-seeding from cultivation as an ornamental, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: South America
Uncommon in SC Coastal Plain (rare elsewhere in GA-NC-SC)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
IS THE PLANT "ARMED"?
Leaves with stipular spines; petiole with scattered spines
LEAVES:
Palmately compound: 5-7 leaflets
Alternate, spirally arranged
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Pale pink or white (AM), deep pink (PM)
Bilaterally symmetrical
4 sepals
4 petals
6 stamens
Superior ovary
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".