Dalea leporina
Dalea tenuifolia
fox-tail prairie-clover, foxtail dalea, hare's-foot dalea
bigtop dalea, flimleaf prairieclover, slimleaf prairie clover
(1.5–)2.5–10(–15) dm, ± sparsely glandular-verruculose distally.
(1.5–)2–5(–5.5) dm, usually pilosulous at base, glabrescent distally, eglandular.
spikes, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, 8–12(–15) mm diam.;
axis usually not visible, (0.8–)1.5–7(–10) cm;
bracts deciduous by anthesis, 2.5–7 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.
(1.5–)3–12(–15) cm.
(0.9–)1.5–8(–12.5) cm.
9 or 10, 5–6.8 mm, filaments distinct to 0.6–1 mm, anthers 0.2–0.4 mm.
5, 6–8.3 mm, filaments distinct to 3.5–5 mm, anthers 0.9–1.5 mm.
white to purple or blue;
not conventionally papilionaceous;
banner (3.4–)4.4–6 mm, blade ovate to oblong-elliptic, (1.7–)2–3.7 × 1.2–2.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached near or distal to middle of stamen tube, blades (1.3–)1.6–2.4 × (0.4–)0.5–1 mm, laterals often slightly narrower than abaxials.
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.
asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, 3–5.2 mm, sparsely to densely pilose or pilosulous;
tube (1.7–)2–2.5(–2.8) mm, with (1 or)2 irregular rows of 2–6 small glands between ribs, sometimes merging into fewer, larger glands, lobes ovate-triangular to lanceolate-acuminate.
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.
1.4–3 mm, pilosulous distally and, sometimes, glandular-punctate.
2.8–3.5 mm, pilosulous and often gland-dotted distally.
1.7–2.4 mm.
2 mm.
herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
leaves 2–9.5 cm;
leaflets (17–)21–35(–49), blades oblanceolate to obovate, (2–)3–12 mm.
leaves 2–4 cm;
leaflets 3 or 5, blades linear-oblanceolate, 10–22 mm.
herbs, diffusely spreading to decumbent, mostly pilosulous ± throughout.
= 14.
= 14.
Dalea leporina
Dalea tenuifolia
Dalea leporina has the broadest range of any member of Dalea, from the interior of the United States and Mexico to Costa Rica, and is disjunct in the Andes Mountains of South America. It varies in some characters, most of which were regarded by R. C. Barneby (1977c) as trivial or not taxonomically useful. It has been found on occasion as a weed far east of its range, for example, in Massachusetts (D. E. Snyder 1950).
(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.)
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