Stats

Lifespan

Annual

Size

Large

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Subtropical grassland

Range

South America

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Spines

Status

Uncommon

About

This flowering plant grows in the wild meadows of southern South America. Its long stamens vibrate to launch pollen onto visiting insects from three centimeters away.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Brassicales

Family

Cleomaceae

Genus

Cleome

Species

Cleome houtteana