Peritoma arborea – “Bladder Pod”

Also Known As: Burrofat, California Cleome
Other Botanical Names: Isomeris arborea, Cleome isomeris
Family: Caper (Capparaceae)
Bloom Period: Nov-Jun
Form: Perennial Shrub
Habitat: Washes and sandy flats, often as a dominant species
Leaves: Oblong leaflets in threes; alternate
Translation: “Peritoma” is Greek for “cut-around” and refers to the for of the calyx; “arborea” is Latin for “tree-like”; “Isomeris” is Greek for “equal parts,” which describes the equally divided seed pod. “Cleome” is an ancient word for a mustard-like plant, and could refer to the yellow, four-petaled flowers, which somewhat resemble the blossoms of plants in the Mustard Family.
Notes: “Bladder Pod” is also the common name of an annual in the Mustard Family, Lesquerella tenella (not included on this website).
Native American Uses: The Kumeyaay ate the seeds and flowers. The Kawaiisu boiled or sun-baked the flowers.
Animal Associations: Bladder Pod gives off an unpleasant odor caused by chemicals that discourage predation by most insects. Two exceptions are the Becker’s White butterfly, whose caterpillars happily feed on this plant, and the Harlequin Cabbage Bug. The flowers, however, which blossom most of the year, attract many pollinators including the White-Lined Sphinx moth.