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Gregg's dalea, Gregg's prairie clover

bigtop dalea, nine-anther dalea, nineanther prairie clover

Habit Subshrubs, horizontal-spreading, mat-forming, at least young foliage silky-pilosulous.
Stems

procumbent or arching, often rooting along stems, 3–5(–20+) dm, eglandular or glandular-verruculose distally.

(5–)6–12 dm, eglandular or sparsely glandular-punctate.

Inflorescences

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

axis usually not visible, 0.4–3(–5.5) cm;

bracts persistent, 2–4 mm.

spikes, remotely flowered, most flowers separated by distinct intervals, not involucrate, 7–10 mm diam.;

axis visible, (1–)2.5–12 cm;

bracts persistent, enfolding and falling with fruit, 3–4.2 mm.

Peduncles

0–4(–6) cm.

0.5–3.5(–5.5) cm.

Stamens

10, 5.5–7.5 mm, filaments distinct to 1.7–2.4 mm, anthers 0.5–0.7 mm.

9, 6.3–9.4 mm, filaments distinct to 2.2–3.5 mm, anthers 0.8–1.2 mm.

Corollas

bicolored, banner cream to pale yellow, reddish in age, epistemonous petals pink to pink-purple; papilionaceous;

banner 4.4–6.2 mm, blade deltate-cordate, 2.6–3.5 × 3.2–4.3 mm, proximal lobes connate, forming obconic pit; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 3.2–4.6 × 1.6–2.4 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 4–4.8(–5.3) × 2.2–3.3 mm.

white; papilionaceous;

banner 5.7–7 mm, blade broadly ovate, 3.6–4 × 3.2–4.2 mm, proximal lobes connate, forming obconic pit; epistemonous petals attached near or proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2.7–3.4 × 1.4–2 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades (4.5–)4.8–5.8 × 2.6–3 mm.

Calyces

subsymmetric, (4–)4.2–6 mm, silky-pilosulous;

tube (2–)2.2–2.8(–3) mm, usually with 3–8(–10) blister glands between ribs (scattered or in a row), lobes triangular-acuminate to lanceolate or aristate, unequal, abaxial longest.

± asymmetric, opening oblique, 6.2–7.6 mm, silky-pilosulous;

tube 3–3.5(–3.7) mm, with 3 or 4 inconspicuous glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate, becoming plumose.

Legumes

2.1–2.8 mm, pilosulous and gland-dotted distally.

3–3.7 mm, pilosulous and, sometimes, gland-dotted distally.

Seeds

1.6–2 mm.

2.4–2.8 mm.

Principal

leaves 0.6–2.5(–3) cm;

leaflets 5–9, blades obovate to oblanceolate, 2–7(–9) mm.

leaves 1.3–2.6 cm;

leaflets (3–)7–11(or 13), blades narrowly oblanceolate or elliptic, 4–11(–12) mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

2n

= 14 (Mexico).

= 14.

Dalea greggii

Dalea enneandra

Phenology Flowering spring, fall, (year-round). Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Rocky slopes, deserts, open woodlands, limestone soils. Plains, prairies, many substrates.
Elevation 600–1400 m. (2000–4600 ft.) 30–1400 m. (100–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, south as far as Oaxaca)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; IA; IL; KS; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Dalea greggii is cultivated as a ground cover and for erosion control in xeriscaping. In Texas, the species is known from the eastern trans-Pecos and Big Bend regions.

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

Dalea enneandra is native to the Great Plains and as far east as the Texas coast and the loess hill prairies of western Iowa and northwestern Missouri. It is naturalized in DuPage County, Illinois. Its persistent calyx aids in wind dispersal of fruit.

(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. grayi, 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. 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. villosa, D. wrightii
Synonyms Parosela enneandra
Name authority A. Gray: Pl. Nov. Thurb., 314. (1854) Nuttall: Cat. Pl. Upper Louisiana, no. 30. (1813)
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