Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea grayi

Dalea frutescens

Gray's prairie-clover

black dalea, black prairie clover
Habit Shrubs, highly branched, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
Stems

(3–)3.5–7(–9) dm, eglandular or sparsely gland-dotted.

3–8(–12) dm, glandular-tuberculate distally.
Inflorescences

spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 7–9 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (0.4–)0.7–5.5(–7) cm;

bracts persistent, (2.2–)2.5–4.5 mm.

spikes, densely or loosely flowered, not involucrate, 8–11 mm diam.;

axis usually not visible, 0.2–2.5 cm;

bracts deciduous, 2.2–3.4(–4.5) mm.
Peduncles

0.5–5(–10) cm.

0.2–4.5(–5) cm.
Stamens

10, 5.5–7 mm, filaments distinct to 2.7–4 mm, anthers 0.5–0.7 mm.

10, 6.8–8.2 mm, filaments distinct to 1.8–2.7 mm, anthers 0.5–0.8 mm.
Corollas

white or whitish, banner reddish or purplish in age;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner plane, 4–5.7 mm, blade triangular-cordate to rhombic-ovate, not peltate, 1.6–2.5 × 2–2.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached high on stamen tube, just proximal to separation of filaments, blades 2.2–3.1 × 0.8–1.4 mm.

usually bicolored, rarely all white, banner whitish with yellowish eye, reddish in age, epistemonous petals vivid pink-purple; papilionaceous;

banner 5.1–6.2 mm, blade ovate-cordate, 3.2–4.2 × 3.4–4.6 mm, proximal lobes connate, forming obconic pit; epistemonous petals attached near or proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 4.3–5.2 × 2.7–3 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades (5–)5.3–6.5 × 3.3–3.9 mm.
Calyces

subsymmetric, 3.6–4.8(–5.2) mm, silky-pilosulous;

tube 2–2.7 mm, with 3–6 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-acuminate to -aristate.

subsymmetric, 3.8–4.2 mm, glabrous;

tube 2.6–3.2(–3.5) mm, usually with 3–5(–7) glands between ribs, lobes broadly triangular to triangular-acuminate, unequal, abaxial longest.
Legumes

2.2–2.5 mm, villosulous distally and dotted with small glands.

2.8–3.5 mm, glabrous or distally pilosulous, dotted with small glands distally.
Seeds

1.6 mm.

1.7–2.3 mm.
Perennial

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

Principal

leaves 1–5 cm;

leaflets (11–)17–43, blades elliptic-oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, 1–4.5(–5.5) mm.

leaves 1–2 cm;

leaflets 9–19(or 21), blades obovate to broadly oblanceolate, 1.5–3.5(–5) mm.
2n

= 14.

= 14.

Dalea grayi

Dalea frutescens
Phenology Flowering fall (spring–summer). Flowering late summer–fall (spring).
Habitat Rocky slopes, washes, canyons, open pine or oak woodlands. Rocky ground, desert grasslands, scrub, open juniper or oak wood­lands, often on limestone.
Elevation 700–2200 m. (2300–7200 ft.) 200–2300 m. (700–7500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Dalea grayi occurs in southeastern Arizona as far northwest as Gila County and far southwestern New Mexico (Grant and Hidalgo counties).

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

Dalea frutescens is reported to be palatable for livestock and to decline under grazing pressure. In Texas, the species is widespread away from the coastal areas and generally from the Edwards Plateau westward to the trans-Pecos region.

(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. foliosa, D. formosa, D. frutescens, D. gattingeri, 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. 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
Synonyms Parosela grayi
Name authority (Vail) L. O. Williams: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 23: 450. (1936) A. Gray: Boston J. Nat. Hist. 6: 175. (1850)
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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