Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea pinnata

leafy prairie-clover

summer farewell

Stems

3–8 dm, eglandular.

(3–)4.5–9(–10) dm, finely to coarsely glandular-tuberculate proximal to inflorescences.

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, appearing capitate, conspicuously involucrate, with several whorls of clearly differentiated sterile bracts proximal to spike, 6–13 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 0.6–1.2 cm;

bracts deciduous, basal involucral bracts persistent, becoming transitional to foliage leaves, 5–8 mm.

Peduncles

0–2 cm.

absent.

Stamens

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

5, 8.8–10.8 mm, filaments distinct to 4.2–5.5 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.

white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner (5–)5.4–8.6 mm, blade lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, proximally cuneate (subhastate), 2.7–4.3 × 0.6–1.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 3–5 × 0.5–1.4 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.

subsymmetric, slightly recessed opposite banner, 4.5–7.8(–8.2) mm, pilose;

tube (1.5–)1.7–2.3(–2.7) mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes linear, becoming plumose.

Legumes

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

2.5–3 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.

Seeds

1.8–2 mm.

1.7 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 1–2.5 cm;

leaflets 3–11(or 13), blades linear or elliptic-oblanceolate, 5–11 mm.

= 14.

Dalea pinnata

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).

Dalea pinnata, with its headlike spikes and conspicuous involucres, resembles a member of the Asteraceae. This resemblance is heightened after the petals drop because the slender, plumose calyx-lobes begin to resemble a pappus.

The varieties of Dalea pinnata have limited geographical overlap and var. pinnata is the most widespread.

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

Key

1. Leaflets 3.	var. trifoliata
1. Leaflets 5–11(or 13).	→ 2
2. Involucres: 6–9 mm wide; stems finely glandular-tuberculate proximal to spikes.	var. pinnata
2. Involucres 10–13 mm wide; stems coarsely glandular-tuberculate proximal to spikes.	var. adenopoda

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. mollis, D. mollissima, D. multiflora, D. nana, D. neomexicana, D. obovata, D. ornata, D. phleoides, 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. pinnata var. adenopoda, D. pinnata var. pinnata, D. pinnata var. trifoliata

Synonyms

Petalostemon foliosus

Kuhnia pinnata, Kuhnistera pinnata, Petalostemon pinnatus

Name authority

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

(J. F. Gmelin) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 278. 1977 · Summer-farewell

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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