Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea albiflora

Dalea sabinalis

whiteflower prairie clover

sabinal prairie clover
Stems

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

2.5–5(–6) dm, sparsely gland-dotted.
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, relatively loosely flowered, not involucrate, 6.5–8 mm diam.;

axis usually partially visible at anthesis, 4–9 cm;

bracts early deciduous, 3 mm.
Peduncles

0.5–8.5 cm.

6–12 cm.
Stamens

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

5, 5–6 mm, filaments distinct to 2.5–3 mm, anthers 0.6 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.

pink to rose;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5.4 mm, blade deltate-obcordate, 2.5 × 3 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 3 × 1.5 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, recessed opposite banner, 3–3.3 mm, glabrous, lobes sometimes pilosulous;

tube 2.3–2.5 mm, greenish intervals between ribs eglandular, lobes subulate or adaxial pair triangular-ovate.
Legumes

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

3 mm, glabrate, margins ± short-ciliate distally, minutely gland-dotted.
Seeds

1.6–2 mm.

1.5–2.1 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 2–4 cm;

leaflets 11–17, blades linear-oblanceolate, 7–15 mm.
2n

= 14, 24.

Dalea albiflora

Dalea sabinalis
Phenology Flowering fall (spring–summer). Flowering spring.
Habitat Open woodlands, grasslands, roadsides. Open slopes, limestone soils.
Elevation 1000–2300 m. (3300–7500 ft.) 500–600 m. (1600–2000 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 sabinalis was first found at the entrance to Sabinal Canyon in Bandera County, but collections are known also from nearby Uvalde and Val Verde counties; it has not been collected since the 1950s, and no extant populations are known.

(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. obovata, D. ornata, D. phleoides, D. pinnata, D. pogonathera, D. polygonoides, D. pringlei, D. pulchra, D. purpurea, D. reverchonii, D. scandens, D. scariosa, D. searlsiae, D. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
Synonyms D. ordiae Petalostemon sabinalis
Name authority A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 38. (1853) (S. Watson) Shinners: Field & Lab. 17: 83. (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).



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