Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea foliosa

Dalea purpurea

leafy prairie-clover

purple prairie-clover
Stems

3–8 dm, eglandular.

2–9 dm, eglandular or with few scattered glands.
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, 7–12 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (1–)1.5–7 cm;

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

0–2 cm.

(0–)3–15 cm.
Stamens

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

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.

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

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, 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

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

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

1.8–2 mm.

1.6–2.1 mm.
Perennial

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

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

leaves 3–5.5 cm;

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

leaves 1.7–4(–4.5) cm;

leaflets 3 or 5(or 7), blades linear to linear-elliptic, (7–)10–24(–28) mm.
2n

= 14.

Dalea foliosa

Dalea purpurea
Phenology Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Limestone glades, prairie remnants.
Elevation 100–300 m. (300–1000 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; IL; TN
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
North America
[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 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. 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. 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 foliosus Petalostemon purpureus
Name authority (A. Gray) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 245. (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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