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woollyhead prairie clover

whiteflower prairie clover

Stems

0.3–0.8 dm, eglandular.

(2–)2.5–5(–7) dm, sparsely gland-dotted distally.

Inflorescences

spikes, densely flowered, not obviously involucrate, 15–20 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 0.7–3(–3.5) cm;

bracts persistent through anthesis, 6–9 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.

Peduncles

absent.

0.5–8.5 cm.

Stamens

10, 10–11 mm, filaments distinct to 1.2–1.6 mm, anthers 0.5–0.6 mm.

10, (5–)6–8 mm, filaments distinct to 3.5–4.5 mm, anthers 0.4–0.6 mm.

Corollas

clear yellow, reddish brown in age; papilionaceous;

banner 7–8.2 mm, blade reniform, 1.8–2.4 × 1.9–2.8 mm; epistemonous petals attached distal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2.4–2.7 × 1.2–1.4 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 3.2–4 × 1.6–2 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.

Calyces

somewhat asymmetric, slightly recessed opposite banner, 7.8–8.7 mm, densely pilose;

tube 2.5–2.9 mm, with 2 or 3 small glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate, becoming plumose.

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.

Legumes

± 2.5 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.

Seeds

2.3–3 mm.

1.6–2 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect to ascending, silvery-pilose.

herbs, erect, ± silky-villosulous.

Principal

leaves (1–)1.5–3.5 cm;

leaflets 3, blades rhombic-ovate to elliptic-oblanceolate, 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.

2n

= 14.

= 14, 24.

Dalea laniceps

Dalea albiflora

Phenology Flowering summer–fall. Flowering fall (spring–summer).
Habitat Rocky slopes and hills, deserts, grasslands, open pine woods. Open woodlands, grasslands, roadsides.
Elevation 900–2500 m. (3000–8200 ft.) 1000–2300 m. (3300–7500 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Zacatecas)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In the flora area, Dalea laniceps is limited to the southeastern area of trans-Pecos Texas.

(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.)

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. greggii, D. hallii, D. jamesii, D. lachnostachys, D. lanata, 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. 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. scariosa, D. searlsiae, D. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
Synonyms D. ordiae
Name authority Barneby: SouthW. Naturalist 15: 390. (1971) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 38. (1853)
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