FNA: Dalea foliosa vs. Dalea formosa

	Dalea foliosa	Dalea formosa
	leafy prairie-clover	feather-plume, indigobush
Habit		Shrubs, relatively erect, often gnarled, glabrous or glabrate proximal to inflorescences.
Stems	3–8 dm, eglandular.	1.5–9 dm, eglandular or sparsely glandular-tuberculate 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, loosely flowered, 2–9-flowered, not involucrate, 8 mm diam.; axis usually visible, 0.2–0.8(–3.5) cm; bracts early deciduous or ± persistent, brown, 2–6 mm, glandular.
Peduncles	0–2 cm.	0–1(–1.8) cm.
Stamens	5, 5.4–7.2 mm, filaments distinct to 2.7–3.7 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 mm.	10, 9–12.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.4–4.5 mm, anthers 0.8–1.2 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.	bicolored, banner cream to pale yellow, reddish in age, epistemonous petals rose- or magenta-purple; papilionaceous; banner (6.6–)7–8.8 mm, blade deltate-obcordate, (4–)4.3–5.5 × (3.4–)4–6.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube; wings 5.2–7.4 × 2.4–3.7 mm; keel connate valvately, blades (6–)6.3–7.6 × 3.2–4.5 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, not recessed opposite banner, opening oblique, (7.5–)8.5–13.5(–16.2) mm, long-pilose; tube (3–)3.5–5(–5.2) mm, with 3 or 4(or 5) prominent blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate-acuminate, becoming aristate, plumose, with pointed projecting glands laterally.
Legumes	2.5–3 mm, glabrous, dotted with small glands distally.	3–3.5 mm, pilosulous and gland-dotted distally.
Seeds	1.8–2 mm.	2.8–3 mm.
Perennial	herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
Principal	leaves 3–5.5 cm; leaflets 19–29(or 31), blades oblong-oblanceolate to -elliptic, 5–10 mm.	leaves 0.3–1.1 cm; leaflets (5 or)7–13(or 15), blades obovate-cuneate to oblanceolate, 1–6(–7) mm.
2n	= 14.	= 14, 21, 42.

	Dalea foliosa	Dalea formosa
Phenology	Flowering late summer–fall.	Flowering spring (fall).
Habitat	Limestone glades, prairie remnants.	Rocky desert, grasslands, open woodlands.
Elevation	100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.)	500–2100 m. (1600–6900 ft.)
Distribution	AL; IL; TN [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	AZ; CO; NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora) [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.)	As R. C. Barneby (1977c) pointed out, Dalea formosa is distinctive in appearance. It is complex cytologically, with diploid plants known from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico; tetraploid plants from Texas and Mexico; and hexaploid plants from New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico (R. Spellenberg 1981). In Texas, the species is known from widespread areas of the western half of the state. (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. 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. carnea, D. carthagenensis, D. compacta, D. cylindriceps, D. emarginata, D. enneandra, D. exigua, D. exserta, D. feayi, D. filiformis, D. flavescens, D. foliosa, 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
Synonyms	Petalostemon foliosus
Name authority	(A. Gray) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 245. (1977)	Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 177. (1827)
Web links	Local Web sites: IL Wildflowers WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Dalea formosa

leafy prairie-clover

feather-plume, indigobush

Habit

Shrubs, relatively erect, often gnarled, glabrous or glabrate proximal to inflorescences.

Stems

3–8 dm, eglandular.

1.5–9 dm, eglandular or sparsely glandular-tuberculate 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, loosely flowered, 2–9-flowered, not involucrate, 8 mm diam.;

axis usually visible, 0.2–0.8(–3.5) cm;

bracts early deciduous or ± persistent, brown, 2–6 mm, glandular.

Peduncles

0–2 cm.

0–1(–1.8) cm.

Stamens

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

10, 9–12.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.4–4.5 mm, anthers 0.8–1.2 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.

bicolored, banner cream to pale yellow, reddish in age, epistemonous petals rose- or magenta-purple; papilionaceous;

banner (6.6–)7–8.8 mm, blade deltate-obcordate, (4–)4.3–5.5 × (3.4–)4–6.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 5.2–7.4 × 2.4–3.7 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades (6–)6.3–7.6 × 3.2–4.5 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, not recessed opposite banner, opening oblique, (7.5–)8.5–13.5(–16.2) mm, long-pilose;

tube (3–)3.5–5(–5.2) mm, with 3 or 4(or 5) prominent blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate-acuminate, becoming aristate, plumose, with pointed projecting glands laterally.

Legumes

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

3–3.5 mm, pilosulous and gland-dotted distally.

Seeds

1.8–2 mm.

2.8–3 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

Principal

leaves 3–5.5 cm;

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

leaves 0.3–1.1 cm;

leaflets (5 or)7–13(or 15), blades obovate-cuneate to oblanceolate, 1–6(–7) mm.

= 14.

= 14, 21, 42.

Dalea formosa

Phenology

Flowering late summer–fall.

Flowering spring (fall).

Habitat

Limestone glades, prairie remnants.

Rocky desert, grasslands, open woodlands.

Elevation

100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.)

500–2100 m. (1600–6900 ft.)

Distribution

AL; IL; TN

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

AZ; CO; NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora)

[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.)

As R. C. Barneby (1977c) pointed out, Dalea formosa is distinctive in appearance. It is complex cytologically, with diploid plants known from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico; tetraploid plants from Texas and Mexico; and hexaploid plants from New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico (R. Spellenberg 1981). In Texas, the species is known from widespread areas of the western half of the state.

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

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. carnea, D. carthagenensis, D. compacta, D. cylindriceps, D. emarginata, D. enneandra, D. exigua, D. exserta, D. feayi, D. filiformis, D. flavescens, D. foliosa, 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

Synonyms

Petalostemon foliosus

Name authority

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

Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 177. (1827)

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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Dalea foliosa

Dalea formosa

Dalea foliosa

Dalea formosa