FNA: Dalea albiflora vs. Dalea foliosa

	Dalea albiflora	Dalea foliosa
	whiteflower prairie clover	leafy prairie-clover
Stems	(2–)2.5–5(–7) dm, sparsely gland-dotted distally.	3–8 dm, eglandular.
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, 8–10 mm diam.; axis not visible, 1.5–4.5 cm; bracts persistent through anthesis, 4.8–5.4 mm.
Peduncles	0.5–8.5 cm.	0–2 cm.
Stamens	10, (5–)6–8 mm, filaments distinct to 3.5–4.5 mm, anthers 0.4–0.6 mm.	5, 5.4–7.2 mm, filaments distinct to 2.7–3.7 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 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.	lavender-purple; not conventionally papilionaceous; banner 5.2–6 mm, blade ovate to suborbiculate, 2.1–2.5 × 2.6–3.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.7–3 × 0.8–1 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.	subsymmetric, 3.8–4.4 mm, glabrous or lobes sometimes pilosulous; tube 2.4–2.7 mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-lanceolate or adaxial pair ovate-triangular.
Legumes	2.2–2.9 mm, villosulous distally and gland-dotted.	2.5–3 mm, glabrous, dotted with small glands distally.
Seeds	1.6–2 mm.	1.8–2 mm.
Perennial	herbs, erect, ± silky-villosulous.	herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
Principal	leaves 1–4 cm; leaflets (13–)17–35(–41), blades oblanceolate to linear-elliptic, (1.5–)2–7(–10) mm.	leaves 3–5.5 cm; leaflets 19–29(or 31), blades oblong-oblanceolate to -elliptic, 5–10 mm.
2n	= 14, 24.	= 14.

	Dalea albiflora	Dalea foliosa
Phenology	Flowering fall (spring–summer).	Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat	Open woodlands, grasslands, roadsides.	Limestone glades, prairie remnants.
Elevation	1000–2300 m. (3300–7500 ft.)	100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.)
Distribution	AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora) [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	AL; IL; TN [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.)	Dalea foliosa is rare and in 1991 was designated federally as endangered. At that time, there were 14 known populations, only four of which had state or Nature Conservancy protection. The species is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants. (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. flavescens, 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 foliosus
Name authority	A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 38. (1853)	(A. Gray) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 245. (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	Local Web sites: IL Wildflowers WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Dalea foliosa

whiteflower prairie clover

leafy prairie-clover

Stems

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

3–8 dm, eglandular.

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, 8–10 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 1.5–4.5 cm;

bracts persistent through anthesis, 4.8–5.4 mm.

Peduncles

0.5–8.5 cm.

0–2 cm.

Stamens

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

5, 5.4–7.2 mm, filaments distinct to 2.7–3.7 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 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.

lavender-purple;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5.2–6 mm, blade ovate to suborbiculate, 2.1–2.5 × 2.6–3.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.7–3 × 0.8–1 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.

subsymmetric, 3.8–4.4 mm, glabrous or lobes sometimes pilosulous;

tube 2.4–2.7 mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-lanceolate or adaxial pair ovate-triangular.

Legumes

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

2.5–3 mm, glabrous, dotted with small glands distally.

Seeds

1.6–2 mm.

1.8–2 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, ± silky-villosulous.

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

Principal

leaves 1–4 cm;

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

leaves 3–5.5 cm;

leaflets 19–29(or 31), blades oblong-oblanceolate to -elliptic, 5–10 mm.

= 14, 24.

= 14.

Dalea albiflora

Dalea foliosa

Phenology

Flowering fall (spring–summer).

Flowering late summer–fall.

Habitat

Open woodlands, grasslands, roadsides.

Limestone glades, prairie remnants.

Elevation

1000–2300 m. (3300–7500 ft.)

100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.)

Distribution

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

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

AL; IL; TN

[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.)

Dalea foliosa is rare and in 1991 was designated federally as endangered. At that time, there were 14 known populations, only four of which had state or Nature Conservancy protection. The species is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

(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. flavescens, 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 foliosus

Name authority

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

(A. Gray) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 245. (1977)

Web links

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Flora of North America species comparison

Dalea albiflora

Dalea foliosa

Dalea albiflora

Dalea foliosa