Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea candida

Dalea compacta

white prairie-clover

compact prairie clover, plains praireclover
Stems

2.5–10 dm, minutely gland-dotted or eglandular.

3–6(–7) dm, sparsely glandular-punctate.
Inflorescences

spikes, densely to somewhat loosely flowered, cylindric, not involucrate, 6–9.5(–10) mm diam.;

axis visible or not, especially in fruit, (1–)1.5–5.5(–7.5) cm;

bracts early deciduous or proximals persistent, interfloral ones held in place by crowded flowers, 2.5–5.5 mm.

spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 10.5–14(–15) mm diam.;

axis not visible, (0.5–)1–3 cm;

bracts persistent through anthesis, 2–7.5 mm.
Peduncles

0–5.5(–7.5) cm.

0–15 cm.
Stamens

5, (5–)5.2–7.6 mm, filaments distinct to 2.5–4.5 mm, anthers 0.7–1.2 mm.

5, 8–10.5 mm, filaments distinct to 3.3–5(–5.4) mm, anthers 1–1.5 mm.
Corollas

white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner (4–)4.2–5.7 mm, blade deltate-obovate, 2.3–3.4 × 2.4–3.7(–4.2) mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2–3.1 × 1.1–2.6 mm.

rose-lilac or rose-purple;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5.4–9 mm, blade ovate-oblong or -deltate, 2.2–3.5 × 2.4–3.6 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.8–4 × 1.1–1.8 mm.
Calyces

subsymmetric, (2.9–)3–4.2(–4.4) mm, pilosulous or tube glabrous;

tube 1.9–2.7 mm, not deeply recessed opposite banner, with 1 (or 2) glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate to triangular, ± unequal, abaxial pair longest.

subsymmetric, (4.4–)5–6.2 mm, pilosulous, with lines of antrorse, subappressed hairs proximal to sinuses and on margins of lobes;

tube 3–3.8 mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes subulate or adaxial pair triangular-ovate.
Legumes

(2.6–)2.8–4(–4.5) mm, glabrate or distally pilose, with ± prominent, elongated to circular glands on sides.

3–3.5 mm, glabrous except apex, eglandular.
Seeds

1.7–2.3 mm.

1.5 mm.
Perennial

herbs, erect to diffusely spreading, glabrous throughout or proximal to inflorescence.

herbs, erect to ascending or decumbent, glabrous or sparsely pilosulous.
Principal

leaves (1.5–)2–6 cm;

leaflets 5–9, blades oblong to obovate or narrowly elliptic-oblanceolate, (6–)9–35 mm.

leaves (2–)2.5–5.5 cm;

leaflets (3 or)5 or 7(or 9), blades linear-oblanceolate to -elliptic, (10–)12–25 mm.

Dalea candida

Dalea compacta
Distribution
from USDA
North America; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
sc United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Varieties candida and oligophylla were treated as separate species by D. K. Wemple (1970) and are fairly well defined. In regions of overlap, var. oligophylla normally occupies higher, drier sites than var. candida.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Dalea compacta is most abundant in east Texas, where it is found in habitats similar to those occupied by D. purpurea in prairies of the mid United States.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Spike axis not visible; calyx tube glabrous.
var. candida
1. Spike axis partially visible, especially in fruit; calyx tube usually pubescent, sometimes glabrous.
var. oligophylla
1. Principal interfloral bracts exceeding subtended calyces, 4.5–7.5 mm.
var. compacta
1. Principal interfloral bracts equaling or shorter than subtended calyces, 2–5 mm.
var. pubescens
Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Dalea Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Dalea
Sibling taxa
D. albiflora, D. aurea, D. bartonii, D. bicolor, D. brachystachys, D. cahaba, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
D. candida var. candida, D. candida var. oligophylla
D. compacta var. compacta, D. compacta var. pubescens
Synonyms Petalostemon candidus Petalostemon compactus
Name authority Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 3: 1337. (1802) Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 3: 327. (1826)
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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