Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea nana

Sonoran prairie-clover

dwarf dalea, dwarf prairie-clover

Stems

(0.4–)0.7–3(–3.5) dm, eglandular.

(0.5–)1–3.5 dm, nearly eglandular.

Inflorescences

spikes, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, 5–7 mm diam.;

axis not to partially visible, (0.2–)0.3–1.5(–2) cm;

bracts early deciduous, 1.5–2.8 mm.

spikes, densely to loosely flowered, not involucrate, 7–13(–15) mm diam.;

axis not to partially visible, 0.5–4(–5) cm;

bracts deciduous at anthesis or later, 2.5–5.5 mm.

Peduncles

(1.3–)2–8 cm.

0–3.5 cm.

Stamens

10, 2.5–3.5 mm, filaments distinct to 0.6–0.9 mm, anthers 0.2–0.3 mm.

10, (6–)6.4–10 mm, filaments distinct to 1.1–2.3 mm, anthers 0.4–0.7 mm.

Corollas

all pinkish or reddish, or banner paler; papilionaceous;

banner 2.6–3.5 mm, blade ovate or deltate-ovate, 1.4–1.8 × 0.9–1.6 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 1.2–1.8(–2) × 0.8–1.1 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 1.4–1.9 × 0.8–1.1 mm.

clear yellow, purplish or brownish in age; papilionaceous;

banner (4–)4.4–5.5 mm, blade suborbiculate-cordate to reniform, 1.5–3.2 × (1.5–)2–3.6 mm; epistemonous petals attached near or distal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2.1–3.7 × 0.9–1.8 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 2.9–4.8 × 1.6–2.8 mm.

Calyces

± asymmetric, not strongly recessed opposite banner, opening oblique, (2.5–)2.8–3.5 mm, pilosulous;

tube (1.3–)2.8–3.5 mm, with 0 or 1(or 2) small glands between ribs, lobes triangular-acuminate or -aristate.

subsymmetric, 4.5–6.5(–7.5) mm, densely pilose;

tube 1.9–2.7 mm, with 3 or 4 small glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate, becoming plumose.

Legumes

2–2.4 mm, pilosulous and, sometimes, gland-dotted distally.

2.5–3 mm, distally with 2 rows of ascending hairs on either side of a glabrescent row, eglandular.

Seeds

1.5–1.9 mm.

1.8–2.2 mm.

Annual

herbs, erect, glabrous or glabrate proximal to inflorescences.

Principal

leaves 1–3.5 cm;

leaflets 3 or 5, blades linear-filiform, 5–23 mm.

leaves 1–2.5(–3) cm;

leaflets (3 or)5(or 7), blades obovate to olanceolate, 3–15 mm, surfaces inconspicuously glandular-punctate abaxially.

Perennial

herbs, prostrate, diffusely spreading, or erect, silky-pilosulous.

= 14.

Dalea nana

Phenology

Flowering late summer–fall (spring).

Habitat

Open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, grasslands, rocky soils along roads, disturbed places.

Elevation

1600–2400 m. (5200–7900 ft.)

Distribution

AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora)

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

sw United States; n Mexico

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Dalea filiformis is distinctive in its relatively few, narrow leaflets. Its range is primarily southeastern and central Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, but it does occur in northern Arizona to nearly the Utah border, and there is one report for northern New Mexico in Sandoval County.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Dalea nana shows extensive variability in a number of features, including habit, height, and bract shape.

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

Key

1. Bracts 2–4 mm wide; spikes loosely flowered, axis partially visible.	var. nana
1. Bracts 1.2–2 mm wide; spikes densely flowered, axis not visible.	var. carnescens

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. emarginata, D. enneandra, D. exigua, D. exserta, D. feayi, 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. 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. nana var. carnescens, D. nana var. nana

Name authority

A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 39. (1853)

Torrey ex A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 31. (1849)

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).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

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