Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea compacta

pink tassels, whitetassels

compact prairie clover, plains praireclover

Stems

3–8(–10) dm, gland-dotted distally.

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

Inflorescences

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

axis not visible, 0.5–3(–3.5) cm;

bracts deciduous with fruit, 2–5.5 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

0–8 cm.

0–15 cm.

Stamens

5, 5–9.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.7–6 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 mm.

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

Corollas

usually white, sometimes pink to pinkish tan;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 3.8–5.7 mm, blade ovate, 1.8–3 × 1.4–2.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 1.7–3.3 × 0.7–1.11 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

asymmetric, deeply recessed opposite banner, opening oblique, 2.7–4.3 mm, glabrous except lobes ciliolate;

tube 2–3.5 mm, with (0 or)1–3 small blister glands between ribs, lobes subulate or adaxial pair ovate.

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

2.5–3 mm, glabrous or distally pilosulous, ± glandular.

3–3.5 mm, glabrous except apex, eglandular.

Seeds

1.4–1.8 mm.

1.5 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect to ascending or diffusely spreading to procumbent, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

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

Principal

leaves 1.5–4 cm;

leaflets 5–9, blades flat or folded, elliptic to oblanceolate, (5–)6–17 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 compacta

Distribution

se United States

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

sc United States

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

The varieties of Dalea carnea are fairly distinctive, and two are largely allopatric. Variety gracilis occurs in the Florida panhandle and west while var. carnea is found farther east and throughout peninsular Florida. Variety albida overlaps the ranges of the other varieties and extends north into Georgia.

(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. Calyces 3.2–4.3 mm, lobes 0.9–1.5 mm; petals usually pink to pinkish tan, rarely white.	var. carnea
1. Calyces 2.7–3.5 mm, lobes 0.6–1.1 mm; petals white.	→ 2
2. Leaflets mostly 5; stamens 6–9.5 mm; stems erect to ascending.	var. albida
2. Leaflets mostly 7; stamens 5–6 mm; stems diffusely spreading to procumbent.	var. gracilis

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.

Parent taxa

Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Dalea

Sibling taxa

D. albiflora, D. aurea, D. bartonii, D. bicolor, D. brachystachys, D. cahaba, D. candida, 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. carnea var. albida, D. carnea var. carnea, D. carnea var. gracilis

D. compacta var. compacta, D. compacta var. pubescens

Synonyms

Petalostemon carneus

Petalostemon compactus

Name authority

(Michaux) Poiret in F. Cuvier: Dict. Sci. Nat. ed. 2, 12: 462. (1818)

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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