Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea albiflora

Dalea lachnostachys

whiteflower prairie clover

glandleaf prairie clover
Stems

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

1.5–4 dm, black-warty.
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.

racemes, spikelike, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, (15–)16–19(–20) mm diam.;

axis usually not visible, 2.5–5 cm;

bracts deciduous, 7–11 mm.
Peduncles

0.5–8.5 cm.

1–8(–11) cm.
Stamens

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

10, 6.6–8.7 mm, filaments distinct to 2.3–2.9 mm, anthers (0.5–)0.6–0.8 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.

dark blue or blue-violet; papilionaceous;

banner 5.7–7.6 mm, blade shallowly cordate, (3.5–)3.8–4.8 × 2.2–3.8 mm; epistemonous petals attached well proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 3.7–5 × 1.3–1.8 mm;

keel connate by overlapping margins, blades (3.8–)4–4.7 × 1.7–2.2 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.

± symmetric, (4.3–)5.8–7.7 mm, pilose;

tube 2.6–3.1 mm, with 3 or 4 small glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate.
Legumes

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

(3–)3.3–4 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.
Seeds

1.6–2 mm.

1.8–2.4 mm.
Perennial

herbs, erect, ± silky-villosulous.

herbs, erect, ± pilosulous.
Principal

leaves 1–4 cm;

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

leaves 3–8(–9.5) cm;

leaflets (5 or) 7 or 9 (or 11), blades obovate, (5–)7–17 mm, margins entire or ± crenulate, surfaces glandular-pustulate around margins abaxially.
2n

= 14, 24.

= 14.

Dalea albiflora

Dalea lachnostachys
Phenology Flowering fall (spring–summer). Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Open woodlands, grasslands, roadsides. Open deserts, dry grass­lands, open woodlands, sometimes on limestone.
Elevation 1000–2300 m. (3300–7500 ft.) 1000–1800 m. (3300–5900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora)
[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 lachnostachys occurs in southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and trans-Pecos Texas.

(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. foliosa, D. formosa, D. frutescens, D. gattingeri, D. grayi, D. greggii, D. hallii, D. jamesii, 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
Name authority A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 38. (1853) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 46. (1852)
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).



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