Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea exserta

Dalea tentaculoides

Mexican prairie clover

gentry's indigobush
Habit Shrubs or subshrubs, relatively erect, sparsely pilosulous or glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
Stems

ribbed, (1.5–)5–10(–12) dm, glandular-verrucose distally.

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

spikes, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, 13–16 mm diam.;

axis usually not visible, (1.5–)2–8 cm;

bracts deciduous by anthesis, (3–)4–8 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

(1–)2.5–14 cm.

(0–)0.2–2.2 cm.
Stamens

8–10, (7.5–)8–11 mm, filaments distinct to 0.1–1.6 mm, anthers 0.4–0.5 mm.

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

white, sometimes banner purplish in age;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 4.9–7.3 mm, blade lanceolate-oblong to oblong-elliptic, 3–4.8 × 2.2–2.3 mm; epistemonous petals attached near or proximal to middle of stamen tube, blades somewhat unequal, laterals (2–)3.4–5 × 1–1.8 mm, abaxials 3–3.7 × 1.1–1.6 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, 4.8–7 mm, glabrous;

tube (2.5–)2.7–3.8 mm, with 2–4(–8) large 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

2.2–2.8 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.

3 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.
Seeds

1.6–1.8(–2) mm.

1.5 mm.
Annual

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

Principal

leaves 3–10 cm;

leaflets 19–37, blades oblong-elliptic to oblanceolate, 2–9 mm.

leaves 3–6 cm;

leaflets 19–35, blades oblong-elliptic to obovate, 2.5–8 mm.
2n

= 14 (Mexico).

Dalea exserta

Dalea tentaculoides
Phenology Flowering fall–spring. Flowering spring (fall).
Habitat Openings in woods, disturbed ground. Rocks in canyons, rocky volcanic slopes in desert mountains.
Elevation 1000–1200 m. (3300–3900 ft.) 900–2200 m. (3000–7200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; Mexico; Central America
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The existence of Dalea exserta in the flora area rests on specimens collected in 1939 by Goodding in Sycamore Canyon, near Ruby in Santa Cruz County. Because it is an annual that often grows in disturbed ground, it may be found again there or at some other locality in southern Arizona.

(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. exigua, 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 Parosela exserta
Name authority (Rydberg) Gentry: Publ. Carnegie Inst. Wash. 527: 138. (1942) Gentry: Madroño 10: 238, plates 18, 19. (1950)
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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