FNA: Dalea lasiathera

	Dalea lasiathera
	purple dalea
Stems	1–3(–3.5) dm, sparsely gland-dotted.
Inflorescences	spikes, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, 11–13 mm diam.; axis not to partially visible, 2–6 cm; bracts persistent, (3–)3.5–5.5 mm.
Peduncles	1.5–5(–6) cm.
Stamens	10, 8.5–12 mm, filaments distinct to 3.4–4.7 mm, anthers 0.8–1.2 mm.
Corollas	violet-purple, banner with yellowish center; papilionaceous; banner 6.2–7.5 mm, blade broadly ovate, 3.8–4.6 × 4.2–5 mm, proximal lobes connate, forming obconic pit; epistemonous petals attached near or proximal to middle of stamen tube; wings 3.7–4.7 × 2.2–3 mm; keel connate valvately, blades 5.3–6.5 × 2.3–3.7 mm.
Calyces	± asymmetric, opening oblique, 5.3–6.9 mm, silky-pilosulous; tube 3.3–3.9 mm, with 3–5(–16) glands between ribs, lobes triangular-subulate, not plumose.
Legumes	3–3.5 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.
Seeds	2.3 mm.
Perennial	herbs, decumbent to ascending, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
Principal	leaves (1–)1.5–3 cm; leaflets (3–)7–11, blades linear-oblanceolate to elliptic, 5–12 mm.

	Dalea lasiathera
Phenology	Flowering spring (fall).
Habitat	Rocky hillsides, open oak woods, with mesquite.
Elevation	150–1600 m. (500–5200 ft.)
Distribution	TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas) [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Dalea lasiathera is most abundant on the Edwards Plateau with outlying populations in the trans-Pecos region and Wichita County in the Red River valley. (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. greggii, D. hallii, D. jamesii, D. lachnostachys, D. lanata, D. laniceps, 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
Name authority	A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 48. (1852)
Web links	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Dalea lasiathera

purple dalea

Stems

1–3(–3.5) dm, sparsely gland-dotted.

Inflorescences

spikes, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, 11–13 mm diam.;

axis not to partially visible, 2–6 cm;

bracts persistent, (3–)3.5–5.5 mm.

Peduncles

1.5–5(–6) cm.

Stamens

10, 8.5–12 mm, filaments distinct to 3.4–4.7 mm, anthers 0.8–1.2 mm.

Corollas

violet-purple, banner with yellowish center; papilionaceous;

banner 6.2–7.5 mm, blade broadly ovate, 3.8–4.6 × 4.2–5 mm, proximal lobes connate, forming obconic pit; epistemonous petals attached near or proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 3.7–4.7 × 2.2–3 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 5.3–6.5 × 2.3–3.7 mm.

Calyces

± asymmetric, opening oblique, 5.3–6.9 mm, silky-pilosulous;

tube 3.3–3.9 mm, with 3–5(–16) glands between ribs, lobes triangular-subulate, not plumose.

Legumes

3–3.5 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.

Seeds

2.3 mm.

Perennial

herbs, decumbent to ascending, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

Principal

leaves (1–)1.5–3 cm;

leaflets (3–)7–11, blades linear-oblanceolate to elliptic, 5–12 mm.

Dalea lasiathera

Phenology

Flowering spring (fall).

Habitat

Rocky hillsides, open oak woods, with mesquite.

Elevation

150–1600 m. (500–5200 ft.)

Distribution

TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Dalea lasiathera is most abundant on the Edwards Plateau with outlying populations in the trans-Pecos region and Wichita County in the Red River valley.

(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. greggii, D. hallii, D. jamesii, D. lachnostachys, D. lanata, D. laniceps, 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

Name authority

A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 48. (1852)

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 lasiathera

Dalea lasiathera