Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea exigua

pink tassels, whitetassels

Chihuahuan prairie clover

Stems

3–8(–10) dm, gland-dotted distally.

1–4(–4.5) dm, eglandular or weakly gland-dotted.

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, 5–8 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (0.8–)1.3–4.5(–6) cm;

bracts persistent through anthesis, 2.5–3.3 mm.

Peduncles

0–8 cm.

(2.5–)4–16 cm.

Stamens

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

4–7, 3–6 fertile, 3.2–4 mm, filaments distinct to 1 mm, anthers 0.2–0.3 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.

lavender or pink-purple;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 3.4–4.2 mm, blade ovate, 1.3–1.6 × 1–1.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached high on stamen tube, just proximal to separation of filaments, blades 1.7–2.3 × 0.9–1.1 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.

asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, 3.8–4.3 mm, silky-pilose;

tube 1.9–2.2 mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate.

Legumes

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

2.5 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.

Seeds

1.4–1.8 mm.

1.9–2.3 mm.

Perennial

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

Principal

leaves 1.5–4 cm;

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

leaves 1.5–5.5 cm;

leaflets 3 or 5, blades linear-oblanceolate to -elliptic, (0.5–)1–3.7(–4) cm.

Annual

herbs, erect, glabrate.

Dalea exigua

Phenology

Flowering fall.

Habitat

Grassy slopes, roadsides, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands.

Elevation

1500–2400 m. (4900–7900 ft.)

Distribution

se United States

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)

[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.)

Dalea exigua occurs in southeastern Arizona (Cochise, Pima, and Santa Cruz counties) and adjacent southwestern New Mexico. A disjunct population occurs in McKinley County, New Mexico.

(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

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. compacta, D. cylindriceps, D. emarginata, D. enneandra, 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

Synonyms

Petalostemon carneus

Petalostemon exilis

Name authority

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

Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 200. (1977)

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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