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Chihuahuan prairie clover

gentry's indigobush

Habit Shrubs or subshrubs, relatively erect, sparsely pilosulous or glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
Stems

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

3–6(–12) dm, glandular-tuberculate distally.

Inflorescences

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.

spikes, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, 11–15 mm diam.;

axis not to partially visible, 1–2(–2.5) cm;

bracts persistent or deciduous, (2.5–)3–5.5 mm.

Peduncles

(2.5–)4–16 cm.

(0–)0.2–2.2 cm.

Stamens

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

10, 8–9.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.6–3.5 mm, anthers 0.7–1 mm.

Corollas

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.

bicolored, banner whitish, reddish in age, epistemonous petals rose-purple; papilionaceous;

banner 6.2–6.7 mm, blade flabellate, 3–3.5 × 3.9–4.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 4.9–5.8 × 2.2–3 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 5–6.2 × 3.2–4.4 mm.

Calyces

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.

asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, 5.2–7.8 mm, sparsely pilosulous;

tube 2.5–3.1 mm, with 0–2 glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate-acuminate, each with several elongated, pricklelike glands (gland spurs).

Legumes

2.5 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.

3 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.

Seeds

1.9–2.3 mm.

1.5 mm.

Annual

herbs, erect, glabrate.

Principal

leaves 1.5–5.5 cm;

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

leaves 3–6 cm;

leaflets 19–35, blades oblong-elliptic to obovate, 2.5–8 mm.

Dalea exigua

Dalea tentaculoides

Phenology Flowering fall. Flowering spring (fall).
Habitat Grassy slopes, roadsides, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands. Rocks in canyons, rocky volcanic slopes in desert mountains.
Elevation 1500–2400 m. (4900–7900 ft.) 900–2200 m. (3000–7200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Dalea tentaculoides occurs in Santa Cruz and Pima counties. It is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

(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. 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
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. pinnata, D. pogonathera, D. polygonoides, D. pringlei, D. pulchra, D. purpurea, D. reverchonii, D. sabinalis, D. scandens, D. scariosa, D. searlsiae, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
Synonyms Petalostemon exilis
Name authority Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 200. (1977) Gentry: Madroño 10: 238, plates 18, 19. (1950)
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