Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea flavescens

Dalea purpurea

Canyonlands prairie clover

purple prairie-clover
Stems

(2.5–)3–4.5 dm, glandular-tuberculate.

2–9 dm, eglandular or with few scattered glands.
Inflorescences

spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 8.5–12(–13) mm diam.;

axis not visible, (1–)1.5–7(–10) cm;

bracts deciduous, interfloral ones often held in place by crowded flowers, 2.5–5.5(–6.5) mm.

spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 7–12 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (1–)1.5–7 cm;

bracts persistent through anthesis, (2.3–)2.7–5.8(–7) mm.
Peduncles

(4–)7–20(–25) cm.

(0–)3–15 cm.
Stamens

5, (5.5–)6.2–10(–12.7) mm, filaments distinct to 3.4–6.2(–8.7) mm, anthers 0.9–1.6 mm.

5, 5.6–8.5(–9) mm, filaments distinct to 3–5.2(–5.5) mm, anthers (0.7–)0.8–1.3(–1.4) mm.
Corollas

white, ochroleucous in drying;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5–7.4(–8.4) mm, blade broadly triangular to ovate, 2.6–4.2 ×2.2–3.9(–4.5) mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 3–3.9(–4.5) × 0.9–1.6(–1.9) mm.

rose, magenta, pale purple, lilac, or pink;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner (4.3–)4.7–6.7(–7.2) mm, blade ovate to suborbiculate, 1.7–2.6(–2.8) × 1.7–2.8(–3.2) mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.5–3.8(–4) × 0.8–1.3(–1.5)mm.
Calyces

asymmetric, deeply recessed opposite banner, (3–)3.3–4.7(–5.2) mm, pilosulous, especially distally;

tube (2–)2.2–2.8 mm, with 0–3 small, pale blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate.

subsymmetric, 3.2–4.5 mm, pilosulous, base with antrorse hairs;

tube (1.7–)2–2.8(–2.9) mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate to ovate, adaxial pair broadest.
Legumes

3.1–3.7 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.

2.1–2.6 mm, distally pilosulous and gland-dotted.
Seeds

2.1–2.4 mm.

1.6–2.1 mm.
Perennial

herbs, erect, pilosulous except stems glabrous.

herbs, erect to spreading, glabrous, puberulent, pilose, or tomentulose.
Principal

leaves (2–)2.5–4(–4.5) cm;

leaflets 5 or 7, blades oblong-obovate to narrowly oblong-elliptic, 7–17(–19) mm, surfaces glandular-punctate to glandular-verruculose abaxially.

leaves 1.7–4(–4.5) cm;

leaflets 3 or 5(or 7), blades linear to linear-elliptic, (7–)10–24(–28) mm.

Dalea flavescens

Dalea purpurea
Phenology Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Dry hills, sandy or rocky places, desert shrub communities, sometimes on limestone.
Elevation 900–1600 m. (3000–5200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

The distributions of Dalea flavescens and D. searlsiae are nearly discrete.

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

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Dalea purpurea is characteristic of prairies and has a wide geographical distribution. It is sometimes cultivated for its showy purple flowers and drought tolerance. Livestock find it palatable; it decreases with grazing.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Spikes (8–)9.5–12 mm diam.; peduncles 0–10 cm (often absent or very short on side shoots).
var. purpurea
1. Spikes 7–9 mm diam.; peduncles 3–15 cm.
var. arenicola
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. exserta, D. feayi, D. filiformis, 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. 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. purpurea var. arenicola, D. purpurea var. purpurea
Synonyms Petalostemon flavescens, D. epica Petalostemon purpureus
Name authority (S. Watson) S. L. Welsh ex Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 231. (1977) Ventenat: Descr. Pl. Nouv., plate 40. (1801)
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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