FNA: Dalea greggii vs. Dalea scariosa

	Dalea greggii	Dalea scariosa
	Gregg's dalea, Gregg's prairie clover	Albuquerque 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.	2–7 dm, glandular-tuberculate.
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, relatively loosely flowered, not involucrate, 9–11 mm diam.; axis often partially visible at anthesis, 1.5–9(–13) cm; bracts early deciduous, 2.5–5 mm.
Peduncles	0–4(–6) cm.	0.5–5 cm.
Stamens	10, 5.5–7.5 mm, filaments distinct to 1.7–2.4 mm, anthers 0.5–0.7 mm.	5, 8.5–9.8 mm, filaments distinct to 5–5.4 mm, anthers 0.7–1.1 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.	pale pink to rose-purple; not conventionally papilionaceous; banner 7.2–8 mm, blade suborbiculate-cordate, 4–4.5 × 1–4.5 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 3.7–4 × 1.8–2.2 mm, laterals often wider than abaxials.
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, recessed opposite banner, 4–5.8 mm, glabrous; tube 3–3.8 mm, green intervals each with a single row (or adaxial pair with 2 or 3 rows) of 3–5 blister glands, lobes subulate or adaxial pair triangular to triangular-apiculate.
Legumes	2.1–2.8 mm, pilosulous and gland-dotted distally.	3.2–4 mm, glabrate, slightly ciliate distally and at proximal end of style, gland-dotted.
Seeds	1.6–2 mm.	2.3–3 mm.
Principal	leaves 0.6–2.5(–3) cm; leaflets 5–9, blades obovate to oblanceolate, 2–7(–9) mm.	leaves 1–2.5 cm; leaflets (5 or) 7 or 9, blades obovate-cuneate, 3–8 mm.
Perennial		herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
2n	= 14 (Mexico).	= 14.

	Dalea greggii	Dalea scariosa
Phenology	Flowering spring, fall, (year-round).	Flowering summer(–early fall).
Habitat	Rocky slopes, deserts, open woodlands, limestone soils.	Sandy or limey soils, grasslands, sometimes with mesquite or juniper.
Elevation	600–1400 m. (2000–4600 ft.)	1400–1600 m. (4600–5200 ft.)
Distribution	AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, south as far as Oaxaca) [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	NM [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 scariosa is a geographically restricted and beautiful plant that is known only from locations near Alburquerque and Belen. It appears to be related to two other rare taxa, D. bartonii and D. sabinalis. (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. 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. searlsiae, D. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
Name authority	A. Gray: Pl. Nov. Thurb., 314. (1854)	S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 369. (1882)
Web links	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Dalea scariosa

Gregg's dalea, Gregg's prairie clover

Albuquerque 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.

2–7 dm, glandular-tuberculate.

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, relatively loosely flowered, not involucrate, 9–11 mm diam.;

axis often partially visible at anthesis, 1.5–9(–13) cm;

bracts early deciduous, 2.5–5 mm.

Peduncles

0–4(–6) cm.

0.5–5 cm.

Stamens

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

5, 8.5–9.8 mm, filaments distinct to 5–5.4 mm, anthers 0.7–1.1 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.

pale pink to rose-purple;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 7.2–8 mm, blade suborbiculate-cordate, 4–4.5 × 1–4.5 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 3.7–4 × 1.8–2.2 mm, laterals often wider than abaxials.

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, recessed opposite banner, 4–5.8 mm, glabrous;

tube 3–3.8 mm, green intervals each with a single row (or adaxial pair with 2 or 3 rows) of 3–5 blister glands, lobes subulate or adaxial pair triangular to triangular-apiculate.

Legumes

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

3.2–4 mm, glabrate, slightly ciliate distally and at proximal end of style, gland-dotted.

Seeds

1.6–2 mm.

2.3–3 mm.

Principal

leaves 0.6–2.5(–3) cm;

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

leaves 1–2.5 cm;

leaflets (5 or) 7 or 9, blades obovate-cuneate, 3–8 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

= 14 (Mexico).

= 14.

Dalea scariosa

Phenology

Flowering spring, fall, (year-round).

Flowering summer(–early fall).

Habitat

Rocky slopes, deserts, open woodlands, limestone soils.

Sandy or limey soils, grasslands, sometimes with mesquite or juniper.

Elevation

600–1400 m. (2000–4600 ft.)

1400–1600 m. (4600–5200 ft.)

Distribution

AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, south as far as Oaxaca)

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[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 scariosa is a geographically restricted and beautiful plant that is known only from locations near Alburquerque and Belen. It appears to be related to two other rare taxa, D. bartonii and D. sabinalis.

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

Source

FNA vol. 11.

Parent taxa

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. 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. searlsiae, D. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii

Name authority

A. Gray: Pl. Nov. Thurb., 314. (1854)

S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 369. (1882)

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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Dalea greggii

Dalea scariosa

Dalea greggii

Dalea scariosa