Flora of North America species comparison

The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Dalea albiflora

Dalea obovata

whiteflower prairie clover

pussyfoot
Stems

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

to 5.5 dm, sparsely dotted with small, raised glands.
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, (12–)14–20 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 3.5–11 cm;

bracts early deciduous, interfloral ones often held in place by crowded flowers, 5.5–11 mm.
Peduncles

0.5–8.5 cm.

0–3(–10) cm.
Stamens

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

5, (4.5–)5–6.6 mm, filaments distinct to 1–2.2 mm, anthers 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.

white, ochroleucous in drying;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner (3.5–)4–7 mm, blade ovate-oblong, (2–)2.2–2.9(–3.1) × 1.2–2 mm; epistemonous petals attached at or just proximal to separation of filaments, blades 2–3.2 × 0.5–0.9 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, slightly recessed opposite banner, 3.3–5.8 mm, pilose;

tube (1.3–)1.4–2.1 mm, with 1 or 2 small glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate.
Legumes

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

2.7–3 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.
Seeds

1.6–2 mm.

1.7 mm.
Perennial

herbs, erect, ± silky-villosulous.

herbs, short-lived, erect, ± lanate-pilose.
Principal

leaves 1–4 cm;

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

leaves (2–)2.5–5 cm;

leaflets 7–11, blades obovate, (8–)10–16 mm, surfaces eglandular.
2n

= 14, 24.

Dalea albiflora

Dalea obovata
Phenology Flowering fall (spring–summer). Flowering spring (fall–early winter).
Habitat Open woodlands, grasslands, roadsides. Sandy, open ground on and near Gulf Coastal Plain.
Elevation 1000–2300 m. (3300–7500 ft.) 0–400 m. (0–1300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
[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 obovata occurs in the southern coastal plain of Texas as far north and west as Frio, Medina, and Travis counties.

(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. lachnostachys, D. lanata, D. laniceps, D. lasiathera, D. leporina, D. lumholtzii, D. mollis, D. mollissima, D. multiflora, D. nana, D. neomexicana, 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 obovatus
Name authority A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 38. (1853) (Torrey & A. Gray) Shinners: Field & Lab. 17: 84. (1949)
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).



Type/paste one or more Latin names into the boxes above; matching taxa will show up below the box as you type. You can use the up/down arrow keys to move through the list.

(If the plant you're looking for doesn't show up in the auto-complete list, that means it either isn't described in Flora of North America yet, or it's listed under a synonym. And please note that Flora of North America is still missing several plant families, including Apiaceae, Boraginaceae, and Polemoniaceae.)

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

The species comparison tool is brought to you by:
Northwest Wildflowers