These wildflowers were previously included in the caper family (Capparaceae). As far as I can tell, the family hasn't been around long enough to pick up an English name.

Flowers are organized alphabetically by genus and species. Hover over a photo series to control the images.

 Rocky Mountain Beeplant (Cleomella serrulata)

This plant was formerly known as Cleome serrulata, and is listed as such in many guides. It's also been assigned to the genera Atalanta and Peritoma. For years I knew it simply as beeweed. One photo shows how the individual flower has four petals.  Except on the flower stalks, the leaves are pointed and come in threes. The boiled-down sap from this plant may have been used to create the carbon-based black paint on some Ancestral Puebloan pots.

Red-Whisker Clammyweed (Polanisia dodecandra)

Doesn't get the admiration Rocky Mountain beeplant gets, but a pretty plant nonetheless.

Jackass Clover (Wislizenia refracta)

As I was driving down NM Highway 1, I saw several very healthy bushes just off the pavement. At first all I could see was yellow fuzz. A closer look revealed a mix of yellow flower balls and tripartite leaves. An even closer look revealed individual flowers whose stamens hogged the spotlight with the petals. Another name for this species is spectacle fruit. It's sometimes listed under the genus Cleomella. Also, there are other species in the Southwest that look a lot like this one.