Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea lasiathera

Dalea tenuifolia

purple dalea

bigtop dalea, flimleaf prairieclover, slimleaf prairie clover
Stems

1–3(–3.5) dm, sparsely gland-dotted.

(1.5–)2–5(–5.5) dm, usually pilosulous at base, glabrescent distally, eglandular.
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, moderately densely flowered, not involucrate, 8–10 mm diam.;

axis becoming partially visible, (0.5–)1–7(–9) cm;

bracts deciduous by anthesis, 2.5–4.5(–5.5) mm.
Peduncles

1.5–5(–6) cm.

(0.9–)1.5–8(–12.5) cm.
Stamens

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

5, 6–8.3 mm, filaments distinct to 3.5–5 mm, anthers 0.9–1.5 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.

rose-purple;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5.5–6.5 mm, blade cordate, 2.3–3.1 × 2.6–3.1 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.7–3.4 × 1.2–1.5 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.

subsymmetric, (3.1–)3.4–4.5 mm, densely pilose;

tube (1.6–)1.9–2.4 mm, prominently to indistinctly 10-ribbed, ± circular in cross section, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate or adaxial pair ovate-lanceolate to ovate.
Legumes

3–3.5 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.

2.8–3.5 mm, pilosulous and often gland-dotted distally.
Seeds

2.3 mm.

2 mm.
Perennial

herbs, decumbent to ascending, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

herbs, diffusely spreading to decumbent, mostly pilosulous ± throughout.
Principal

leaves (1–)1.5–3 cm;

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

leaves 2–4 cm;

leaflets 3 or 5, blades linear-oblanceolate, 10–22 mm.
2n

= 14.

Dalea lasiathera

Dalea tenuifolia
Phenology Flowering spring (fall). Flowering late spring–summer (fall).
Habitat Rocky hillsides, open oak woods, with mesquite. Rocky places, limestone soils.
Elevation 150–1600 m. (500–5200 ft.) 800–1400 m. (2600–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; KS; NM; OK; TX
[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.)

Dalea tenuifolia is known from the southern high plains. In Texas, the species is found in the northern panhandle and extreme north-central part 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. 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. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
Synonyms Petalostemon tenuifolius
Name authority A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 48. (1852) (A. Gray) Shinners: Field & Lab. 17: 84. (1949)
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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