Type: — BRAZIL. Bahia: Chapadão Ocidental da Bahia. 5 km to the N. of Tabocas, which is 10 km N. W. of Serra Dourada, 12°39’S ‒ 44°02’W, 1 May 1980, R. M. Harley 21972 (holotype: CEPEC!; isotypes: HUEFS!, K000220454 [image!], K000220455 [image!], NY!, WIS v0324962!, WIS v0324963!, WIS v0324964!).

Diagnosis: —Leaves 3 ‒ 5 foliolate, with lower and upper leaves sometimes 1 ‒ foliolate; stipules lacking; capsule ellipsoid, gynophore 1.2 ‒ 2.2 cm long. Differs from other species of the genus by the absence of bracts and seeds uniformly smooth, with a narrow cleft covered by a thin, smooth membrane.

Herb to slender subshrub, 1 ‒ 1.5 m tall; branches striate longitudinally, unarmed, glabrous. Stipules absent. Leaves palmately compound, usually 3 ‒ 5-foliolate, the lower and upper leaves sometimes 1-foliolate; petiole 1.5 ‒ 7 cm long, unarmed; leaflets lanceolate to elliptic, acute to acuminate at apex, attenuate to cuneate at base, margin serrulate, central leaflet 2 ‒ 5 × 0.7 ‒ 1.8 cm, outermost leaflet 3 ‒ 4 × 0.5 ‒ 0.9 cm; petiolule 1 ‒ 1.5 mm long. Racemes few-flowered, 20 cm long. Bracts absent. Flower buds capitate to elliptic. Pedicels 1 ‒ 1.7 cm long, glabrous. Sepals lanceolate, 1 ‒ 1.5 × 0.5 ‒ 1 mm, acuminate at the apex, greenish. Petals unguiculate, claw 1 ‒ 3 mm long, blade elliptic to lanceolate, 5 ‒ 7 × 2 ‒ 3 mm, whitish. Stamens 6; filaments equal, 1.2 ‒ 1.8 cm long, glabrous, purplish; anthers 1.5 ‒ 3 mm long, greenish. Nectariferous disk obsolete ca. 1 mm long. Ovary ellipsoid, 1 ‒ 2 × 0.5 ‒ 1 mm; stigma sessile, discoid. Mature capsule ellipsoid 2 ‒ 3.5 × 0.3 ‒ 0.9 cm, glabrous, pale-greenish; gynophore 1.4 ‒ 2.2 cm long. Seeds spiraled, 2 ‒ 3 × 1 ‒ 1.5 mm, uniformly smooth, glabrous, with narrow cleft covered by a thin, smooth membrane.

Distribution and habit: —Species endemic to Brazil, known only from the states of Bahia, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo (Fig. 2). Collected in plantations, boggy regions, and gallery forests.

Etymology: —The specific epithet refers to Bahia State, where the species was first recorded.

Phenology: —Flowers and fruits in January, April, May, and December.

Vernacular name: —Unknown.

Additional material examined (paratypes): — BRAZIL. Bahia: São Gabriel, Fazenda Boa Sorte, 11°02’S 41°40’W, 2 April 2009, R. F. Machado et al. 122 (HUEFS!); Wanderley, Fazenda Terra Nova, 28 February 2012, A. M. Miranda & J. Ferraz 6463 (EAC!, HUEFS!, HST!, IPA!, FUEL, RB!); Irecê, 11°18’S 41°52’W, 20 January 1967, J. R. Coleman 492 (GA, photocopy and photo in WIS); Irecê, common in dry rocky soil, 20 January 1967, J. R. Coleman 508 (GA, photocopy and photo in WIS). Minas Gerais: Montes Claros, 16°43’S 43°52’W, 30 December 1983, M. L. Gavilanes 1174 (ESAL!); without locality determined, Canyros de la rive droite du S. Francisco —à 4 or 5 lieues de sa source, without data, Sipolis s.n. (P 00741913 [image!]). [São Paulo] Província de Saint-Paul, without locality determined, 1816, A. de Saint-Hilaire s.n. (P 00741912 [image!]).

Notes: — Cleoserrata bahiana was previously applied, as an identification on herbarium sheets, as Cleome bahiana Iltis, ined., with the indication of Harley 21972 (CEPEC) as the species holotype but was never published. Although this name was adopted by Costa-e-Silva (2000) during a revision of the Brazilian species of Cleome, and can be found noted on species labels in some herbaria in her hand, this name was never validly published by Costa-e-Silva either. The absence of bracts readily distinguishes Cleoserrata bahiana from the other species of the genus, although it is similar to C. paludosa in terms of its habit, the absence of an indument, sepals lanceolate, greenish, and petals lanceolate to elliptic and white. It is distinguishable from C. paludosa by the absence of stipules and by its elliptic fruits.