Dalea formosa
Dalea phleoides
feather-plume, indigobush
slimspike prairie clover
1.5–9 dm, eglandular or sparsely glandular-tuberculate distally.
(2.5–)3–7 dm, glandular-tuberculate.
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.
spikes, densely flowered, not obviously involucrate, 5.5–7.5 mm diam.;
axis not visible, (1.5–)2.5–9(–13) cm;
bracts early deciduous or proximals persistent, interfloral ones held in place by crowded flowers, 2.5–4.5 mm.
0–1(–1.8) cm.
(1–)2–20(–25) cm.
10, 9–12.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.4–4.5 mm, anthers 0.8–1.2 mm.
5, 5.2–7.4 mm, filaments distinct to 3–4.3 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 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.
white;
not conventionally papilionaceous;
banner 5.3–6.8 mm, blade deltate-obcordate, 2.8–3.5(–4) × 2.6–3.6(–5.2) mm; epistemonous petals attached at or near separation of filaments, blades 3–3.9 × 0.5–0.9 mm.
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.
asymmetric, deeply recessed opposite banner, 2.5–3.8 mm, glabrous or pilosulous;
tube 1.7–2.5(–2.8) mm, with 1 or 2 blister glands between ribs, adaxial with 3–7, lobes triangular-subulate or adaxial pair broadly triangular.
3–3.5 mm, pilosulous and gland-dotted distally.
2.5–2.9 mm, pilosulous distally, sometimes also gland-dotted.
2.8–3 mm.
apparently unknown.
leaves 0.3–1.1 cm;
leaflets (5 or)7–13(or 15), blades obovate-cuneate to oblanceolate, 1–6(–7) mm.
leaves 2.5–5.5(–6.5) cm;
leaflets 13–41(–49), blades oblong to oblanceolate or oblong-elliptic, 2–14 mm, surfaces glandular-verruculose abaxially.
herbs, erect, pilosulous throughout or in part.
= 14, 21, 42.
Dalea formosa
Dalea phleoides
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.)
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
B. L. Turner (2013) divided Dalea phleoides into three species: D. phleoides, distinguished from D. drummondiana by longer leaf blades and calyces, and D. carrizoana, based on the absence of indument and an allopatric distribution (from DeWitt to Maverick counties) south of the range of the other two species; the latter two are treated here as synonyms of D. phleoides var. microphylla.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Leaflets 13–21(–25), blades 5–14 mm. | var. phleoides |
1. Leaflets 25–41(–49), blades 2–7 mm. | var. microphylla |
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