FNA: Dalea foliosa vs. Dalea mollis

	Dalea foliosa	Dalea mollis
	leafy prairie-clover	hairy prairie clover, silky dalea
Stems	3–8 dm, eglandular.	1–3.5(–6.5) dm, glandular-tuberculate.
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.	racemes, ± densely flowered, pedicels with black, prickleshaped glands at base and toward apex, not involucrate, 8–14 mm diam.; axis not visible, (0.5–)1–3.5 cm; bracts deciduous, (3–)4.5–8 mm.
Peduncles	0–2 cm.	0.2–2.5(–4.5) cm.
Stamens	5, 5.4–7.2 mm, filaments distinct to 2.7–3.7 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 mm.	10, 3.5–5.7 mm, filaments distinct to 2 mm, anthers 0.4–0.6 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.	whitish, banner and keel sometimes lilac-tinged; papilionaceous; banner 3–4.2 mm, blades broadly triangular to suborbiculate-cordate, (1.5–)1.7–2.9 × 2.2–3.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached near or proximal to middle of stamen tube; wings 2.1–3 × 1.1–1.4 mm; keel detaching from stamen tube after anthesis, connate by overlapping margins, blades 2.3–3.4 × 1.4–2 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.	± symmetric, 3.3–6.6 mm, pilose; tube 1.6–2.5 mm, with (1 or)2–6 glands between ribs, lobes triangular or triangular-aristate.
Legumes	2.5–3 mm, glabrous, dotted with small glands distally.	2.2–2.7 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.
Seeds	1.8–2 mm.	1.8–2.2 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 (0.5–)1–3.5 cm; leaflets (7 or) 9–13 (or 15), blades obovate to obcordate, (2–)3–8 mm, margins ± entire or obscurely undulate.
Annual		herbs, prostrate or decumbent, ± pilose or pilosulous.
2n	= 14.	= 16 [Mexico].

	Dalea foliosa	Dalea mollis
Phenology	Flowering late summer–fall.	Flowering late winter–mid spring (fall–early winter).
Habitat	Limestone glades, prairie remnants.	Sandy or rocky desert slopes, flats, roadsides.
Elevation	100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.)	-50–700 m. (-200–2300 ft.)
Distribution	AL; IL; TN [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	AZ; CA; NV; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, 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.)	Some collectors assume that Dalea mollis is perennial; the season of bloom can be long in a good year, and individual plants can be robust. Most of the fall and early-winter plants are collected in early bloom; an occasional plant from that time-period is taken in late bloom. Dalea mollis is similar to D. mollissima and mixed collections are relatively common. In California, D. mollis is known from the desert regions in the southeastern part 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. 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. 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)	Bentham: Pl. Hartw., 306. (1849)
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	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Dalea mollis

leafy prairie-clover

hairy prairie clover, silky dalea

Stems

3–8 dm, eglandular.

1–3.5(–6.5) dm, glandular-tuberculate.

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.

racemes, ± densely flowered, pedicels with black, prickleshaped glands at base and toward apex, not involucrate, 8–14 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (0.5–)1–3.5 cm;

bracts deciduous, (3–)4.5–8 mm.

Peduncles

0–2 cm.

0.2–2.5(–4.5) cm.

Stamens

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

10, 3.5–5.7 mm, filaments distinct to 2 mm, anthers 0.4–0.6 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.

whitish, banner and keel sometimes lilac-tinged; papilionaceous;

banner 3–4.2 mm, blades broadly triangular to suborbiculate-cordate, (1.5–)1.7–2.9 × 2.2–3.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached near or proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2.1–3 × 1.1–1.4 mm;

keel detaching from stamen tube after anthesis, connate by overlapping margins, blades 2.3–3.4 × 1.4–2 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.

± symmetric, 3.3–6.6 mm, pilose;

tube 1.6–2.5 mm, with (1 or)2–6 glands between ribs, lobes triangular or triangular-aristate.

Legumes

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

2.2–2.7 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.

Seeds

1.8–2 mm.

1.8–2.2 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 (0.5–)1–3.5 cm;

leaflets (7 or) 9–13 (or 15), blades obovate to obcordate, (2–)3–8 mm, margins ± entire or obscurely undulate.

Annual

herbs, prostrate or decumbent, ± pilose or pilosulous.

= 14.

= 16 [Mexico].

Dalea mollis

Phenology

Flowering late summer–fall.

Flowering late winter–mid spring (fall–early winter).

Habitat

Limestone glades, prairie remnants.

Sandy or rocky desert slopes, flats, roadsides.

Elevation

100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.)

-50–700 m. (-200–2300 ft.)

Distribution

AL; IL; TN

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

AZ; CA; NV; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, 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.)

Some collectors assume that Dalea mollis is perennial; the season of bloom can be long in a good year, and individual plants can be robust. Most of the fall and early-winter plants are collected in early bloom; an occasional plant from that time-period is taken in late bloom. Dalea mollis is similar to D. mollissima and mixed collections are relatively common. In California, D. mollis is known from the desert regions in the southeastern part 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. 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. 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)

Bentham: Pl. Hartw., 306. (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).

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Dalea foliosa

Dalea mollis

Dalea foliosa

Dalea mollis