Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea lasiathera

Dalea villosa

purple dalea

hairy prairieclover, silky prairie clover
Stems

1–3(–3.5) dm, sparsely gland-dotted.

2.5–8(–9) dm, ± 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, 7–10 mm diam.;

axis eventually visible, 3–12(–14) cm;

bracts deciduous, (1.5–)2–5.5 mm.
Peduncles

1.5–5(–6) cm.

0–1(–2.5) cm.
Stamens

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

5, (5–)5.4–7 mm, filaments distinct to 2.5–4.4 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9(–1) 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.

usually rose-purple to pale pink or lavender, rarely white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 4.4–5.6 mm, blade ovate to elliptic, 2.3–3 × 2–2.6 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.1–3.8 × 0.9–1.3 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, recessed opposite banner, 2.8–3.8 mm, densely pilosulous;

tube 1.9–2.7 mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate or subulate or adaxial pair triangular to ovate.
Legumes

3–3.5 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.

2.5–3.2 mm, distally villosulous, ± eglandular.
Seeds

2.3 mm.

2–2.4 mm.
Perennial

herbs, decumbent to ascending, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

herbs, erect or ascending to spreading, sometimes trailing, sparsely pubescent or densely villosulous.
Principal

leaves (1–)1.5–3 cm;

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

leaves 2–4(–4.5) cm;

leaflets (9 or) 11–17(–21), blades elliptic to elliptic-oblanceolate, 8.5–15 mm.

Dalea lasiathera

Dalea villosa
Phenology Flowering spring (fall).
Habitat Rocky hillsides, open oak woods, with mesquite.
Elevation 150–1600 m. (500–5200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Coahuila, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas)
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
North America
[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.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Stems usually 2.5–5 dm, rarely longer, densely villosulous; leaflet blades 8.5–10(–11) mm, surfaces densely villosulous.
var. villosa
1. Stems 5–8(–9) dm, sparsely pubescent; leaflet blades 10–15 mm, surfaces sparsely pubescent.
var. grisea
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. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. wrightii
Subordinate taxa
D. villosa var. grisea, D. villosa var. villosa
Synonyms Petalostemon villosus
Name authority A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 48. (1852) (Nuttall) Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 3: 326. (1826)
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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