FNA: Dalea lasiathera vs. Dalea formosa

	Dalea lasiathera	Dalea formosa
	purple dalea	feather-plume, indigobush
Habit		Shrubs, relatively erect, often gnarled, glabrous or glabrate proximal to inflorescences.
Stems	1–3(–3.5) dm, sparsely gland-dotted.	1.5–9 dm, eglandular or sparsely glandular-tuberculate distally.
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.	spikes, loosely flowered, 2–9-flowered, not involucrate, 8 mm diam.; axis usually visible, 0.2–0.8(–3.5) cm; bracts early deciduous or ± persistent, brown, 2–6 mm, glandular.
Peduncles	1.5–5(–6) cm.	0–1(–1.8) cm.
Stamens	10, 8.5–12 mm, filaments distinct to 3.4–4.7 mm, anthers 0.8–1.2 mm.	10, 9–12.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.4–4.5 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.	bicolored, banner cream to pale yellow, reddish in age, epistemonous petals rose- or magenta-purple; papilionaceous; banner (6.6–)7–8.8 mm, blade deltate-obcordate, (4–)4.3–5.5 × (3.4–)4–6.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube; wings 5.2–7.4 × 2.4–3.7 mm; keel connate valvately, blades (6–)6.3–7.6 × 3.2–4.5 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.	asymmetric, not recessed opposite banner, opening oblique, (7.5–)8.5–13.5(–16.2) mm, long-pilose; tube (3–)3.5–5(–5.2) mm, with 3 or 4(or 5) prominent blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate-acuminate, becoming aristate, plumose, with pointed projecting glands laterally.
Legumes	3–3.5 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.	3–3.5 mm, pilosulous and gland-dotted distally.
Seeds	2.3 mm.	2.8–3 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.	leaves 0.3–1.1 cm; leaflets (5 or)7–13(or 15), blades obovate-cuneate to oblanceolate, 1–6(–7) mm.
2n		= 14, 21, 42.

	Dalea lasiathera	Dalea formosa
Phenology	Flowering spring (fall).	Flowering spring (fall).
Habitat	Rocky hillsides, open oak woods, with mesquite.	Rocky desert, grasslands, open woodlands.
Elevation	150–1600 m. (500–5200 ft.)	500–2100 m. (1600–6900 ft.)
Distribution	TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas) [BONAP county map]	AZ; CO; NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora) [WildflowerSearch map] [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.)	As R. C. Barneby (1977c) pointed out, Dalea formosa is distinctive in appearance. It is complex cytologically, with diploid plants known from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico; tetraploid plants from Texas and Mexico; and hexaploid plants from New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico (R. Spellenberg 1981). In Texas, the species is known from widespread areas of the western half of the state. (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. 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	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. 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
Name authority	A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 48. (1852)	Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 177. (1827)
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 formosa

purple dalea

feather-plume, indigobush

Habit

Shrubs, relatively erect, often gnarled, glabrous or glabrate proximal to inflorescences.

Stems

1–3(–3.5) dm, sparsely gland-dotted.

1.5–9 dm, eglandular or sparsely glandular-tuberculate distally.

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.

spikes, loosely flowered, 2–9-flowered, not involucrate, 8 mm diam.;

axis usually visible, 0.2–0.8(–3.5) cm;

bracts early deciduous or ± persistent, brown, 2–6 mm, glandular.

Peduncles

1.5–5(–6) cm.

0–1(–1.8) cm.

Stamens

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

10, 9–12.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.4–4.5 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.

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

banner (6.6–)7–8.8 mm, blade deltate-obcordate, (4–)4.3–5.5 × (3.4–)4–6.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 5.2–7.4 × 2.4–3.7 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades (6–)6.3–7.6 × 3.2–4.5 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.

asymmetric, not recessed opposite banner, opening oblique, (7.5–)8.5–13.5(–16.2) mm, long-pilose;

tube (3–)3.5–5(–5.2) mm, with 3 or 4(or 5) prominent blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate-acuminate, becoming aristate, plumose, with pointed projecting glands laterally.

Legumes

3–3.5 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.

3–3.5 mm, pilosulous and gland-dotted distally.

Seeds

2.3 mm.

2.8–3 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.

leaves 0.3–1.1 cm;

leaflets (5 or)7–13(or 15), blades obovate-cuneate to oblanceolate, 1–6(–7) mm.

= 14, 21, 42.

Dalea formosa

Phenology

Flowering spring (fall).

Habitat

Rocky hillsides, open oak woods, with mesquite.

Rocky desert, grasslands, open woodlands.

Elevation

150–1600 m. (500–5200 ft.)

500–2100 m. (1600–6900 ft.)

Distribution

TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)

[BONAP county map]

AZ; CO; NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora)

[WildflowerSearch map]

[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.)

As R. C. Barneby (1977c) pointed out, Dalea formosa is distinctive in appearance. It is complex cytologically, with diploid plants known from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico; tetraploid plants from Texas and Mexico; and hexaploid plants from New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico (R. Spellenberg 1981). In Texas, the species is known from widespread areas of the western half of the state.

(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

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. 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

Name authority

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

Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 177. (1827)

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 formosa

Dalea lasiathera

Dalea formosa