FNA: Dalea emarginata vs. Dalea aurea

	Dalea emarginata	Dalea aurea
	wedgeleaf prairie clover	golden dalea, golden prairie clover
Stems	(1.5–)2–6 dm, with scattered, small, raised glands distally.	(2–)3–7.5 dm, nearly eglandular.
Inflorescences	spikes, densely flowered, inconspicuously involucrate (lowest bracts not subtending flowers), 8.5–10.5(–11) mm diam.; axis not visible, 1–4(–4.5) cm; bracts persistent through anthesis, 1–2.5 mm.	spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, (12–)14–21 mm diam.; axis not visible, (1–)1.5–6 cm; bracts persistent to anthesis, 2.5–5.5 mm.
Peduncles	(6–)10–35(–40) cm.	absent or very short, sometimes appearing relatively long due to small size of distalmost leaves.
Stamens	5, sometimes with vestiges of alternate filaments, 3.8–4.6 mm, filaments distinct to 0.9–1.2 mm, anthers 0.5 mm.	10, 10–12.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.5–3 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 mm.
Corollas	magenta-purple; not conventionally papilionaceous; banner 3.8–4.4 mm, blade ovate, 1.8 × 1.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached at or abaxial pair just proximal to filament separation, blades 1.6–2 × 0.5–0.9 mm.	clear yellow; papilionaceous; banner 6.3–8.6 mm, blade deltate-cordate, 3–4.2 × 3.2–4.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached near middle of stamen tube; wings 4.7–5.6 × 2–2.4 mm; keel connate valvately, blades (4.7–)5–7 × 2.6–3.2 mm.
Calyces	asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, 3–4.2 mm, densely pilosulous; tube 1.8–2.2 mm, with 4–7 blister glands between ribs, lobes ovate.	subsymmetric, 6.1–7.4 mm, silky-pilose; tube 2.2–2.8 mm, with 3 or 4 small glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate-aristate, becoming plumose.
Legumes	2.4–2.8 mm, pilosulous distally and gland-dotted.	3–3.5 mm, distally with 2 rows of ascending hairs on either side of a glabrescent row, eglandular.
Seeds	1.6–1.9 mm.	2–2.4 mm.
Annual	herbs (sometimes overwintering), erect, ± glabrous proximal to inflorescence.
Principal	leaves (1–)1.5–3.5 cm; leaflets (5–)11–17, blades oblong-oblanceolate or obovate, 4–9 mm.	leaves 1–3.5(–4) cm; leaflets (3 or)5(or 7), blades obovate to oblong-oblanceolate, (3–)4–16(–20) mm.
Perennial		herbs, erect, pilose to pilosulous.
2n		= 14, 24.

	Dalea emarginata	Dalea aurea
Phenology	Flowering fall–winter.	Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat	Beaches, dunes, sandy soils.	Open prairies, dry slopes, rocky or sandy areas, on limestone.
Elevation	0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)	10–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.)
Distribution	LA; TX; Mexico (Tamaulipas, Veracruz) [BONAP county map]	AZ; CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila) [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Dalea emarginata was first described under Petalostemon but was rejected from that genus by D. K. Wemple (1970) because of its annual habit. R. C. Barneby (1977c) considered it to be taxonomically isolated within Dalea. Adaxial surfaces of the leaflets often become a remarkable blue-green in drying, a trait observed also in several other daleas that were placed in Petalostemon and in the evidently distantly related yellow-petaled D. nana. In Texas, D. emarginata is known from the southern half of the state, east of the Big Bend region. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)	Dalea aurea is sometimes cultivated in rock gardens or dry soil for its showy flowers with yellow petals. In Texas, the species is quite widespread. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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. candida, D. carnea, D. carthagenensis, D. compacta, D. cylindriceps, 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. 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. villosa, D. wrightii
Synonyms	Petalostemon emarginatus	D. ceciliana
Name authority	(Torrey & A. Gray) Shinners: Field & Lab. 17: 84. (1949)	Nuttall ex Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 740. (1813)
Web links	Local Web sites: LA Plants WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local Web sites: KS Wildflowers WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Dalea aurea

wedgeleaf prairie clover

golden dalea, golden prairie clover

Stems

(1.5–)2–6 dm, with scattered, small, raised glands distally.

(2–)3–7.5 dm, nearly eglandular.

Inflorescences

spikes, densely flowered, inconspicuously involucrate (lowest bracts not subtending flowers), 8.5–10.5(–11) mm diam.;

axis not visible, 1–4(–4.5) cm;

bracts persistent through anthesis, 1–2.5 mm.

spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, (12–)14–21 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (1–)1.5–6 cm;

bracts persistent to anthesis, 2.5–5.5 mm.

Peduncles

(6–)10–35(–40) cm.

absent or very short, sometimes appearing relatively long due to small size of distalmost leaves.

Stamens

5, sometimes with vestiges of alternate filaments, 3.8–4.6 mm, filaments distinct to 0.9–1.2 mm, anthers 0.5 mm.

10, 10–12.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.5–3 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 mm.

Corollas

magenta-purple;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 3.8–4.4 mm, blade ovate, 1.8 × 1.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached at or abaxial pair just proximal to filament separation, blades 1.6–2 × 0.5–0.9 mm.

clear yellow; papilionaceous;

banner 6.3–8.6 mm, blade deltate-cordate, 3–4.2 × 3.2–4.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached near middle of stamen tube;

wings 4.7–5.6 × 2–2.4 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades (4.7–)5–7 × 2.6–3.2 mm.

Calyces

asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, 3–4.2 mm, densely pilosulous;

tube 1.8–2.2 mm, with 4–7 blister glands between ribs, lobes ovate.

subsymmetric, 6.1–7.4 mm, silky-pilose;

tube 2.2–2.8 mm, with 3 or 4 small glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate-aristate, becoming plumose.

Legumes

2.4–2.8 mm, pilosulous distally and gland-dotted.

3–3.5 mm, distally with 2 rows of ascending hairs on either side of a glabrescent row, eglandular.

Seeds

1.6–1.9 mm.

2–2.4 mm.

Annual

herbs (sometimes overwintering), erect, ± glabrous proximal to inflorescence.

Principal

leaves (1–)1.5–3.5 cm;

leaflets (5–)11–17, blades oblong-oblanceolate or obovate, 4–9 mm.

leaves 1–3.5(–4) cm;

leaflets (3 or)5(or 7), blades obovate to oblong-oblanceolate, (3–)4–16(–20) mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, pilose to pilosulous.

= 14, 24.

Dalea aurea

Phenology

Flowering fall–winter.

Flowering summer–early fall.

Habitat

Beaches, dunes, sandy soils.

Open prairies, dry slopes, rocky or sandy areas, on limestone.

Elevation

0–200 m. (0–700 ft.)

10–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.)

Distribution

LA; TX; Mexico (Tamaulipas, Veracruz)

[BONAP county map]

AZ; CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila)

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Dalea emarginata was first described under Petalostemon but was rejected from that genus by D. K. Wemple (1970) because of its annual habit. R. C. Barneby (1977c) considered it to be taxonomically isolated within Dalea. Adaxial surfaces of the leaflets often become a remarkable blue-green in drying, a trait observed also in several other daleas that were placed in Petalostemon and in the evidently distantly related yellow-petaled D. nana. In Texas, D. emarginata is known from the southern half of the state, east of the Big Bend region.

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

Dalea aurea is sometimes cultivated in rock gardens or dry soil for its showy flowers with yellow petals. In Texas, the species is quite widespread.

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

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. carnea, D. carthagenensis, D. compacta, D. cylindriceps, 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. 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. villosa, D. wrightii

Synonyms

Petalostemon emarginatus

D. ceciliana

Name authority

(Torrey & A. Gray) Shinners: Field & Lab. 17: 84. (1949)

Nuttall ex Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 740. (1813)

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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Dalea emarginata

Dalea aurea

Dalea emarginata

Dalea aurea