Mystery of Jojoba

 Bladderpod plant (Picture taken in Joshua Tree National Park)

Wha'd'yah'know? As soon as the mystery of epazote was solved, another one appeared. This time it's a mystery of jojoba plant. The mystery is the one of identification. This plant was growing in abundance in Joshua Tree National Park but I could not find any labeled plant in the botanical exhibit. Anyway, until confirmed otherwise, we'll consider it jojoba (Edit: the plant is actually Cleome isomeris, see note below).

A few facts about jojoba. It's a desert plant and male and female flowers grow on different plants. The leaves are smooth and turn sideways to the sun so not to expose the whole surface and thus prevent moisture evaporation. In that particular area there were several plants with brights yellow flowers, including creosote bush and desert senna.

The plant on photograph has numerous pods that smell like fresh peas but the seeds are very small. I am not sure it is really jojoba.

Jojoba (Simmondsia chinensis) is the only species of the family Simmondsiaceae (Jojoba family). Chinensis means "of Chinese origin".  Strangely enough, in spite of the name jojoba does not originate in China. It grows in the deserts of California, Arizona and Mexico.

Note. As it turned out, the plant above is not a jojoba but bladderpod (Cleome isomeris, also known as Isomeris arborea).  It does grow in the desert. The plant has big four-petaled yellow flowers and it is part of the family Cleomaceae that is closely related to Brassicasiae hence the morphological resemblance. In some systems it is still considered part of Brassicaseae. Peritoma arborea is another name for this plant.