The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

leafy prairie-clover

hairy prairieclover, silky prairie clover

Stems

3–8 dm, eglandular.

2.5–8(–9) dm, ± eglandular.

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

axis eventually visible, 3–12(–14) cm;

bracts deciduous, (1.5–)2–5.5 mm.

Peduncles

0–2 cm.

0–1(–2.5) cm.

Stamens

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

5, (5–)5.4–7 mm, filaments distinct to 2.5–4.4 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9(–1) 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 rose-purple to pale pink or lavender, rarely white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 4.4–5.6 mm, blade ovate to elliptic, 2.3–3 × 2–2.6 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.1–3.8 × 0.9–1.3 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, recessed opposite banner, 2.8–3.8 mm, densely pilosulous;

tube 1.9–2.7 mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate or subulate or adaxial pair triangular to ovate.

Legumes

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

2.5–3.2 mm, distally villosulous, ± eglandular.

Seeds

1.8–2 mm.

2–2.4 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

herbs, erect or ascending to spreading, sometimes trailing, sparsely pubescent or densely villosulous.

Principal

leaves 3–5.5 cm;

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

leaves 2–4(–4.5) cm;

leaflets (9 or) 11–17(–21), blades elliptic to elliptic-oblanceolate, 8.5–15 mm.

2n

= 14.

Dalea foliosa

Dalea villosa

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).

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

Key
1. Stems usually 2.5–5 dm, rarely longer, densely villosulous; leaflet blades 8.5–10(–11) mm, surfaces densely villosulous.
var. villosa
1. Stems 5–8(–9) dm, sparsely pubescent; leaflet blades 10–15 mm, surfaces sparsely pubescent.
var. grisea
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. purpurea, D. reverchonii, D. sabinalis, D. scandens, D. scariosa, D. searlsiae, D. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. wrightii
Subordinate taxa
D. villosa var. grisea, D. villosa var. villosa
Synonyms Petalostemon foliosus Petalostemon villosus
Name authority (A. Gray) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 245. (1977) (Nuttall) Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 3: 326. (1826)
Web links