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white prairie-clover

hairy prairieclover, silky prairie clover

Stems

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

2.5–8(–9) dm, ± eglandular.

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, moderately densely flowered, not involucrate, 7–10 mm diam.;

axis eventually visible, 3–12(–14) cm;

bracts deciduous, (1.5–)2–5.5 mm.

Peduncles

0–5.5(–7.5) cm.

0–1(–2.5) cm.

Stamens

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

5, (5–)5.4–7 mm, filaments distinct to 2.5–4.4 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9(–1) 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.

usually rose-purple to pale pink or lavender, rarely white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 4.4–5.6 mm, blade ovate to elliptic, 2.3–3 × 2–2.6 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.1–3.8 × 0.9–1.3 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.

asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, 2.8–3.8 mm, densely pilosulous;

tube 1.9–2.7 mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate or subulate or adaxial pair triangular to ovate.

Legumes

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

2.5–3.2 mm, distally villosulous, ± eglandular.

Seeds

1.7–2.3 mm.

2–2.4 mm.

Perennial

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

herbs, erect or ascending to spreading, sometimes trailing, sparsely pubescent or densely villosulous.

Principal

leaves (1.5–)2–6 cm;

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

leaves 2–4(–4.5) cm;

leaflets (9 or) 11–17(–21), blades elliptic to elliptic-oblanceolate, 8.5–15 mm.

Dalea candida

Dalea villosa

Distribution
from USDA
North America; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
North America
[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).

(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. Stems usually 2.5–5 dm, rarely longer, densely villosulous; leaflet blades 8.5–10(–11) mm, surfaces densely villosulous.
var. villosa
1. Stems 5–8(–9) dm, sparsely pubescent; leaflet blades 10–15 mm, surfaces sparsely pubescent.
var. grisea
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. 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. wrightii
Subordinate taxa
D. candida var. candida, D. candida var. oligophylla
D. villosa var. grisea, D. villosa var. villosa
Synonyms Petalostemon candidus Petalostemon villosus
Name authority Willdenow: Sp. Pl. 3: 1337. (1802) (Nuttall) Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 3: 326. (1826)
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