FNA: Dalea albiflora vs. Dalea flavescens

	Dalea albiflora	Dalea flavescens
	whiteflower prairie clover	Canyonlands prairie clover
Stems	(2–)2.5–5(–7) dm, sparsely gland-dotted distally.	(2.5–)3–4.5 dm, glandular-tuberculate.
Inflorescences	spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 7–10 mm diam.; axis not visible, (1–)1.5–6(–7) cm; bracts early deciduous to persistent, 1.5–3.2 mm.	spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 8.5–12(–13) mm diam.; axis not visible, (1–)1.5–7(–10) cm; bracts deciduous, interfloral ones often held in place by crowded flowers, 2.5–5.5(–6.5) mm.
Peduncles	0.5–8.5 cm.	(4–)7–20(–25) cm.
Stamens	10, (5–)6–8 mm, filaments distinct to 3.5–4.5 mm, anthers 0.4–0.6 mm.	5, (5.5–)6.2–10(–12.7) mm, filaments distinct to 3.4–6.2(–8.7) mm, anthers 0.9–1.6 mm.
Corollas	white; not conventionally papilionaceous; banner plane, (4.4–)5–6.4 mm, blade oblong-ovate, not peltate, proximally cordate to cuneate, (2.6–)3–4 × (2–)2.2–3.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached high on stamen tube, just proximal to separation of filaments, blades (2.7–)3.1–4.4 × (0.8–)1.3–1.9(–2.2) mm.	white, ochroleucous in drying; not conventionally papilionaceous; banner 5–7.4(–8.4) mm, blade broadly triangular to ovate, 2.6–4.2 ×2.2–3.9(–4.5) mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 3–3.9(–4.5) × 0.9–1.6(–1.9) mm.
Calyces	asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, (2.8–)3.2–5.1 mm, pilosulous; tube (1.9–)2–3(–3.3) mm, with 3–6 glands between ribs, lobes triangular.	asymmetric, deeply recessed opposite banner, (3–)3.3–4.7(–5.2) mm, pilosulous, especially distally; tube (2–)2.2–2.8 mm, with 0–3 small, pale blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate.
Legumes	2.2–2.9 mm, villosulous distally and gland-dotted.	3.1–3.7 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.
Seeds	1.6–2 mm.	2.1–2.4 mm.
Perennial	herbs, erect, ± silky-villosulous.	herbs, erect, pilosulous except stems glabrous.
Principal	leaves 1–4 cm; leaflets (13–)17–35(–41), blades oblanceolate to linear-elliptic, (1.5–)2–7(–10) mm.	leaves (2–)2.5–4(–4.5) cm; leaflets 5 or 7, blades oblong-obovate to narrowly oblong-elliptic, 7–17(–19) mm, surfaces glandular-punctate to glandular-verruculose abaxially.
2n	= 14, 24.

	Dalea albiflora	Dalea flavescens
Phenology	Flowering fall (spring–summer).	Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat	Open woodlands, grasslands, roadsides.	Dry hills, sandy or rocky places, desert shrub communities, sometimes on limestone.
Elevation	1000–2300 m. (3300–7500 ft.)	900–1600 m. (3000–5200 ft.)
Distribution	AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora) [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	AZ; UT [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Dalea albiflora is a complex and variable species that could use further morphological and cytological studies. While herbarium specimens cannot be sorted into varieties in any consistent way, in the field, delicate plants with slender, creeping rootstocks may grow with, and appear quite distinct from, plants with a stout caudex; such plants have been called D. ordiae. There are few chromosome counts available; preliminary study suggests that the former plants are tetraploid and the latter diploid (D. E. Ward et al. 1993). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)	The distributions of Dalea flavescens and D. searlsiae are nearly discrete. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 11.	FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa	Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Dalea	Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Dalea
Sibling taxa	D. aurea, D. bartonii, D. bicolor, D. brachystachys, D. cahaba, D. candida, D. carnea, D. carthagenensis, D. compacta, D. cylindriceps, D. emarginata, D. enneandra, D. exigua, D. exserta, D. feayi, D. filiformis, D. flavescens, D. foliosa, D. formosa, D. frutescens, D. gattingeri, D. grayi, D. greggii, D. hallii, D. jamesii, D. lachnostachys, D. lanata, D. laniceps, D. lasiathera, D. leporina, D. lumholtzii, D. mollis, D. mollissima, D. multiflora, D. nana, D. neomexicana, D. obovata, D. ornata, D. phleoides, D. pinnata, D. pogonathera, D. polygonoides, D. pringlei, D. pulchra, D. purpurea, D. reverchonii, D. sabinalis, D. scandens, D. scariosa, D. searlsiae, D. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii	D. albiflora, D. aurea, D. bartonii, D. bicolor, D. brachystachys, D. cahaba, D. candida, D. carnea, D. carthagenensis, D. compacta, D. cylindriceps, D. emarginata, D. enneandra, D. exigua, D. exserta, D. feayi, D. filiformis, D. foliosa, D. formosa, D. frutescens, D. gattingeri, D. grayi, D. greggii, D. hallii, D. jamesii, D. lachnostachys, D. lanata, D. laniceps, D. lasiathera, D. leporina, D. lumholtzii, D. mollis, D. mollissima, D. multiflora, D. nana, D. neomexicana, D. obovata, D. ornata, D. phleoides, D. pinnata, D. pogonathera, D. polygonoides, D. pringlei, D. pulchra, D. purpurea, D. reverchonii, D. sabinalis, D. scandens, D. scariosa, D. searlsiae, D. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
Synonyms	D. ordiae	Petalostemon flavescens, D. epica
Name authority	A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 38. (1853)	(S. Watson) S. L. Welsh ex Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 231. (1977)
Web links	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Dalea flavescens

whiteflower prairie clover

Canyonlands prairie clover

Stems

(2–)2.5–5(–7) dm, sparsely gland-dotted distally.

(2.5–)3–4.5 dm, glandular-tuberculate.

Inflorescences

spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 7–10 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (1–)1.5–6(–7) cm;

bracts early deciduous to persistent, 1.5–3.2 mm.

spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 8.5–12(–13) mm diam.;

axis not visible, (1–)1.5–7(–10) cm;

bracts deciduous, interfloral ones often held in place by crowded flowers, 2.5–5.5(–6.5) mm.

Peduncles

0.5–8.5 cm.

(4–)7–20(–25) cm.

Stamens

10, (5–)6–8 mm, filaments distinct to 3.5–4.5 mm, anthers 0.4–0.6 mm.

5, (5.5–)6.2–10(–12.7) mm, filaments distinct to 3.4–6.2(–8.7) mm, anthers 0.9–1.6 mm.

Corollas

white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner plane, (4.4–)5–6.4 mm, blade oblong-ovate, not peltate, proximally cordate to cuneate, (2.6–)3–4 × (2–)2.2–3.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached high on stamen tube, just proximal to separation of filaments, blades (2.7–)3.1–4.4 × (0.8–)1.3–1.9(–2.2) mm.

white, ochroleucous in drying;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5–7.4(–8.4) mm, blade broadly triangular to ovate, 2.6–4.2 ×2.2–3.9(–4.5) mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 3–3.9(–4.5) × 0.9–1.6(–1.9) mm.

Calyces

asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, (2.8–)3.2–5.1 mm, pilosulous;

tube (1.9–)2–3(–3.3) mm, with 3–6 glands between ribs, lobes triangular.

asymmetric, deeply recessed opposite banner, (3–)3.3–4.7(–5.2) mm, pilosulous, especially distally;

tube (2–)2.2–2.8 mm, with 0–3 small, pale blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate.

Legumes

2.2–2.9 mm, villosulous distally and gland-dotted.

3.1–3.7 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.

Seeds

1.6–2 mm.

2.1–2.4 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, ± silky-villosulous.

herbs, erect, pilosulous except stems glabrous.

Principal

leaves 1–4 cm;

leaflets (13–)17–35(–41), blades oblanceolate to linear-elliptic, (1.5–)2–7(–10) mm.

leaves (2–)2.5–4(–4.5) cm;

leaflets 5 or 7, blades oblong-obovate to narrowly oblong-elliptic, 7–17(–19) mm, surfaces glandular-punctate to glandular-verruculose abaxially.

= 14, 24.

Dalea albiflora

Dalea flavescens

Phenology

Flowering fall (spring–summer).

Flowering late spring–summer.

Habitat

Open woodlands, grasslands, roadsides.

Dry hills, sandy or rocky places, desert shrub communities, sometimes on limestone.

Elevation

1000–2300 m. (3300–7500 ft.)

900–1600 m. (3000–5200 ft.)

Distribution

AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora)

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

AZ; UT

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Dalea albiflora is a complex and variable species that could use further morphological and cytological studies. While herbarium specimens cannot be sorted into varieties in any consistent way, in the field, delicate plants with slender, creeping rootstocks may grow with, and appear quite distinct from, plants with a stout caudex; such plants have been called D. ordiae. There are few chromosome counts available; preliminary study suggests that the former plants are tetraploid and the latter diploid (D. E. Ward et al. 1993).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

The distributions of Dalea flavescens and D. searlsiae are nearly discrete.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source

FNA vol. 11.

Parent taxa

Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Dalea

Sibling taxa

D. aurea, D. bartonii, D. bicolor, D. brachystachys, D. cahaba, D. candida, D. carnea, D. carthagenensis, D. compacta, D. cylindriceps, D. emarginata, D. enneandra, D. exigua, D. exserta, D. feayi, D. filiformis, D. flavescens, D. foliosa, D. formosa, D. frutescens, D. gattingeri, D. grayi, D. greggii, D. hallii, D. jamesii, D. lachnostachys, D. lanata, D. laniceps, D. lasiathera, D. leporina, D. lumholtzii, D. mollis, D. mollissima, D. multiflora, D. nana, D. neomexicana, D. obovata, D. ornata, D. phleoides, D. pinnata, D. pogonathera, D. polygonoides, D. pringlei, D. pulchra, D. purpurea, D. reverchonii, D. sabinalis, D. scandens, D. scariosa, D. searlsiae, D. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii

D. albiflora, D. aurea, D. bartonii, D. bicolor, D. brachystachys, D. cahaba, D. candida, D. carnea, D. carthagenensis, D. compacta, D. cylindriceps, D. emarginata, D. enneandra, D. exigua, D. exserta, D. feayi, D. filiformis, D. foliosa, D. formosa, D. frutescens, D. gattingeri, D. grayi, D. greggii, D. hallii, D. jamesii, D. lachnostachys, D. lanata, D. laniceps, D. lasiathera, D. leporina, D. lumholtzii, D. mollis, D. mollissima, D. multiflora, D. nana, D. neomexicana, D. obovata, D. ornata, D. phleoides, D. pinnata, D. pogonathera, D. polygonoides, D. pringlei, D. pulchra, D. purpurea, D. reverchonii, D. sabinalis, D. scandens, D. scariosa, D. searlsiae, D. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii

Synonyms

D. ordiae

Petalostemon flavescens, D. epica

Name authority

A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 38. (1853)

(S. Watson) S. L. Welsh ex Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 231. (1977)

Web links

Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

The species comparison tool is brought to you by:

Flora of North America species comparison

Dalea albiflora

Dalea flavescens

Dalea albiflora

Dalea flavescens