Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea carnea

leafy prairie-clover

pink tassels, whitetassels

Stems

3–8 dm, eglandular.

3–8(–10) dm, gland-dotted distally.

Inflorescences

spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 8–10 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 1.5–4.5 cm;

bracts persistent through anthesis, 4.8–5.4 mm.

spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 7–10 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 0.5–3(–3.5) cm;

bracts deciduous with fruit, 2–5.5 mm.

Peduncles

0–2 cm.

0–8 cm.

Stamens

5, 5.4–7.2 mm, filaments distinct to 2.7–3.7 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 mm.

5, 5–9.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.7–6 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 mm.

Corollas

lavender-purple;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5.2–6 mm, blade ovate to suborbiculate, 2.1–2.5 × 2.6–3.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.7–3 × 0.8–1 mm.

usually white, sometimes pink to pinkish tan;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 3.8–5.7 mm, blade ovate, 1.8–3 × 1.4–2.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 1.7–3.3 × 0.7–1.11 mm.

Calyces

subsymmetric, 3.8–4.4 mm, glabrous or lobes sometimes pilosulous;

tube 2.4–2.7 mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-lanceolate or adaxial pair ovate-triangular.

asymmetric, deeply recessed opposite banner, opening oblique, 2.7–4.3 mm, glabrous except lobes ciliolate;

tube 2–3.5 mm, with (0 or)1–3 small blister glands between ribs, lobes subulate or adaxial pair ovate.

Legumes

2.5–3 mm, glabrous, dotted with small glands distally.

2.5–3 mm, glabrous or distally pilosulous, ± glandular.

Seeds

1.8–2 mm.

1.4–1.8 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

herbs, erect to ascending or diffusely spreading to procumbent, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

Principal

leaves 3–5.5 cm;

leaflets 19–29(or 31), blades oblong-oblanceolate to -elliptic, 5–10 mm.

leaves 1.5–4 cm;

leaflets 5–9, blades flat or folded, elliptic to oblanceolate, (5–)6–17 mm.

= 14.

Dalea carnea

Phenology

Flowering late summer–fall.

Habitat

Limestone glades, prairie remnants.

Elevation

100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.)

Distribution

AL; IL; TN

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

se United States

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Dalea foliosa is rare and in 1991 was designated federally as endangered. At that time, there were 14 known populations, only four of which had state or Nature Conservancy protection. The species is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.

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

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

The varieties of Dalea carnea are fairly distinctive, and two are largely allopatric. Variety gracilis occurs in the Florida panhandle and west while var. carnea is found farther east and throughout peninsular Florida. Variety albida overlaps the ranges of the other varieties and extends north into Georgia.

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

Key

1. Calyces 3.2–4.3 mm, lobes 0.9–1.5 mm; petals usually pink to pinkish tan, rarely white.	var. carnea
1. Calyces 2.7–3.5 mm, lobes 0.6–1.1 mm; petals white.	→ 2
2. Leaflets mostly 5; stamens 6–9.5 mm; stems erect to ascending.	var. albida
2. Leaflets mostly 7; stamens 5–6 mm; stems diffusely spreading to procumbent.	var. gracilis

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. filiformis, D. flavescens, 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. 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. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii

Subordinate taxa

D. carnea var. albida, D. carnea var. carnea, D. carnea var. gracilis

Synonyms

Petalostemon foliosus

Petalostemon carneus

Name authority

(A. Gray) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 245. (1977)

(Michaux) Poiret in F. Cuvier: Dict. Sci. Nat. ed. 2, 12: 462. (1818)

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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