Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea flavescens

pink tassels, whitetassels

Canyonlands prairie clover

Stems

3–8(–10) dm, gland-dotted distally.

(2.5–)3–4.5 dm, glandular-tuberculate.

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, 8.5–12(–13) mm diam.;

axis not visible, (1–)1.5–7(–10) cm;

bracts deciduous, interfloral ones often held in place by crowded flowers, 2.5–5.5(–6.5) mm.

Peduncles

0–8 cm.

(4–)7–20(–25) cm.

Stamens

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

5, (5.5–)6.2–10(–12.7) mm, filaments distinct to 3.4–6.2(–8.7) mm, anthers 0.9–1.6 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.

white, ochroleucous in drying;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5–7.4(–8.4) mm, blade broadly triangular to ovate, 2.6–4.2 ×2.2–3.9(–4.5) mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 3–3.9(–4.5) × 0.9–1.6(–1.9) 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, deeply recessed opposite banner, (3–)3.3–4.7(–5.2) mm, pilosulous, especially distally;

tube (2–)2.2–2.8 mm, with 0–3 small, pale blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate.

Legumes

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

3.1–3.7 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.

Seeds

1.4–1.8 mm.

2.1–2.4 mm.

Perennial

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

herbs, erect, pilosulous except stems glabrous.

Principal

leaves 1.5–4 cm;

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

leaves (2–)2.5–4(–4.5) cm;

leaflets 5 or 7, blades oblong-obovate to narrowly oblong-elliptic, 7–17(–19) mm, surfaces glandular-punctate to glandular-verruculose abaxially.

Dalea flavescens

Phenology

Flowering late spring–summer.

Habitat

Dry hills, sandy or rocky places, desert shrub communities, sometimes on limestone.

Elevation

900–1600 m. (3000–5200 ft.)

Distribution

se United States

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

AZ; UT

[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.)

The distributions of Dalea flavescens and D. searlsiae are nearly discrete.

(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. exigua, D. exserta, D. feayi, D. filiformis, 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 flavescens, D. epica

Name authority

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

(S. Watson) S. L. Welsh ex Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 231. (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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