Dalea jamesii
Dalea albiflora
James' dalea, James' prairie clover
whiteflower prairie clover
0.4–1.7(–2) dm, eglandular.
(2–)2.5–5(–7) dm, sparsely gland-dotted distally.
spikes, relatively densely flowered, not obviously involucrate, (16–)18–23(–25) mm diam.;
axis not to partially visible, 1.5–6.5(–8) cm;
bracts deciduous at anthesis, (4–)5–8(–9) mm.
spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 7–10 mm diam.;
axis not visible, (1–)1.5–6(–7) cm;
bracts early deciduous to persistent, 1.5–3.2 mm.
absent or very short.
0.5–8.5 cm.
10, (9.5–)10–11.7 mm, filaments distinct to 1.7–3 mm, anthers (0.8–)0.9–1.2 mm.
10, (5–)6–8 mm, filaments distinct to 3.5–4.5 mm, anthers 0.4–0.6 mm.
clear yellow, orangish brown in age; papilionaceous;
banner 5.2–6.2 mm, blade deltate-cordate, 3.2–4.2 × 3.2–4.4 mm, proximal lobes connate, forming obconic pit; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;
wings 3.9–5.1 × 2.3–3.2 mm;
keel connate valvately, blades 5.3–6.3 × 3.2–3.8 mm.
white;
not conventionally papilionaceous;
banner plane, (4.4–)5–6.4 mm, blade oblong-ovate, not peltate, proximally cordate to cuneate, (2.6–)3–4 × (2–)2.2–3.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached high on stamen tube, just proximal to separation of filaments, blades (2.7–)3.1–4.4 × (0.8–)1.3–1.9(–2.2) mm.
somewhat asymmetric, slightly recessed opposite banner, (8.3–)8.5–12(–13.3) mm, pilose;
tube (2.4–)2.8–3.5 mm, with 3 or 4 small glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate.
asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, (2.8–)3.2–5.1 mm, pilosulous;
tube (1.9–)2–3(–3.3) mm, with 3–6 glands between ribs, lobes triangular.
3.5–4 mm, distally with 2 rows of ascending hairs on either side of a glabrescent row, eglandular.
2.2–2.9 mm, villosulous distally and gland-dotted.
2.3–3 mm.
1.6–2 mm.
herbs, erect to ascending, silky-pilose to -pilosulous.
herbs, erect, ± silky-villosulous.
leaves (0.6–)1–3(–4) cm;
leaflets 3, blades obovate to broadly oblanceolate, (3–)5–18 mm, surfaces apparently eglandular.
leaves 1–4 cm;
leaflets (13–)17–35(–41), blades oblanceolate to linear-elliptic, (1.5–)2–7(–10) mm.
= 14.
= 14, 24.
Dalea jamesii
Dalea albiflora
Dalea jamesii occurs from far southwestern Kansas to southeastern Arizona. In Texas, the species occurs in the northern panhandle and trans-Pecos regions.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Dalea albiflora is a complex and variable species that could use further morphological and cytological studies. While herbarium specimens cannot be sorted into varieties in any consistent way, in the field, delicate plants with slender, creeping rootstocks may grow with, and appear quite distinct from, plants with a stout caudex; such plants have been called D. ordiae. There are few chromosome counts available; preliminary study suggests that the former plants are tetraploid and the latter diploid (D. E. Ward et al. 1993).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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