Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea enneandra

Dalea pinnata

bigtop dalea, nine-anther dalea, nineanther prairie clover

summer farewell
Stems

(5–)6–12 dm, eglandular or sparsely glandular-punctate.

(3–)4.5–9(–10) dm, finely to coarsely glandular-tuberculate proximal to inflorescences.
Inflorescences

spikes, remotely flowered, most flowers separated by distinct intervals, not involucrate, 7–10 mm diam.;

axis visible, (1–)2.5–12 cm;

bracts persistent, enfolding and falling with fruit, 3–4.2 mm.

spikes, densely flowered, appearing capitate, conspicuously involucrate, with several whorls of clearly differentiated sterile bracts proximal to spike, 6–13 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 0.6–1.2 cm;

bracts deciduous, basal involucral bracts persistent, becoming transitional to foliage leaves, 5–8 mm.
Peduncles

0.5–3.5(–5.5) cm.

absent.
Stamens

9, 6.3–9.4 mm, filaments distinct to 2.2–3.5 mm, anthers 0.8–1.2 mm.

5, 8.8–10.8 mm, filaments distinct to 4.2–5.5 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 mm.
Corollas

white; papilionaceous;

banner 5.7–7 mm, blade broadly ovate, 3.6–4 × 3.2–4.2 mm, proximal lobes connate, forming obconic pit; epistemonous petals attached near or proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2.7–3.4 × 1.4–2 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades (4.5–)4.8–5.8 × 2.6–3 mm.

white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner (5–)5.4–8.6 mm, blade lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, proximally cuneate (subhastate), 2.7–4.3 × 0.6–1.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 3–5 × 0.5–1.4 mm.
Calyces

± asymmetric, opening oblique, 6.2–7.6 mm, silky-pilosulous;

tube 3–3.5(–3.7) mm, with 3 or 4 inconspicuous glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate, becoming plumose.

subsymmetric, slightly recessed opposite banner, 4.5–7.8(–8.2) mm, pilose;

tube (1.5–)1.7–2.3(–2.7) mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes linear, becoming plumose.
Legumes

3–3.7 mm, pilosulous and, sometimes, gland-dotted distally.

2.5–3 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.
Seeds

2.4–2.8 mm.

1.7 mm.
Perennial

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
Principal

leaves 1.3–2.6 cm;

leaflets (3–)7–11(or 13), blades narrowly oblanceolate or elliptic, 4–11(–12) mm.

leaves 1–2.5 cm;

leaflets 3–11(or 13), blades linear or elliptic-oblanceolate, 5–11 mm.
2n

= 14.

Dalea enneandra

Dalea pinnata
Phenology Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Plains, prairies, many substrates.
Elevation 30–1400 m. (100–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; IA; IL; KS; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
se United States
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Dalea enneandra is native to the Great Plains and as far east as the Texas coast and the loess hill prairies of western Iowa and northwestern Missouri. It is naturalized in DuPage County, Illinois. Its persistent calyx aids in wind dispersal of fruit.

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

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

Dalea pinnata, with its headlike spikes and conspicuous involucres, resembles a member of the Asteraceae. This resemblance is heightened after the petals drop because the slender, plumose calyx-lobes begin to resemble a pappus.

The varieties of Dalea pinnata have limited geographical overlap and var. pinnata is the most widespread.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Leaflets 3.
var. trifoliata
1. Leaflets 5–11(or 13).
→ 2
2. Involucres: 6–9 mm wide; stems finely glandular-tuberculate proximal to spikes.
var. pinnata
2. Involucres 10–13 mm wide; stems coarsely glandular-tuberculate proximal to spikes.
var. adenopoda
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. emarginata, 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. 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. pinnata var. adenopoda, D. pinnata var. pinnata, D. pinnata var. trifoliata
Synonyms Parosela enneandra Kuhnia pinnata, Kuhnistera pinnata, Petalostemon pinnatus
Name authority Nuttall: Cat. Pl. Upper Louisiana, no. 30. (1813) (J. F. Gmelin) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 278. 1977 · Summer-farewell
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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