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fox-tail prairie-clover, foxtail dalea, hare's-foot dalea

Wright's dalea, Wright's prairie-clover

Stems

(1.5–)2.5–10(–15) dm, ± sparsely glandular-verruculose distally.

0.4–2.6(–3.6) dm, eglandular.

Inflorescences

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, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, 17–23 mm diam.;

axis not to partially visible, (1.5–)2–6 cm;

bracts deciduous near anthesis, 6–12 mm.

Peduncles

(1.5–)3–12(–15) cm.

absent or very short.

Stamens

9 or 10, 5–6.8 mm, filaments distinct to 0.6–1 mm, anthers 0.2–0.4 mm.

10, 10–13 mm, filaments distinct to 1.5 mm, anthers 0.5–0.7 mm.

Corollas

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.

clear yellow, pinkish or orangish brown in age; papilionaceous;

banner 7.8–9.5 mm, blade cordate, 2–3 × 2.4–3.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached distal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2.6–3.4 × 1.8–2.3 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades (2.6–)3–4(–4.2) × 1.6–2.2 mm.

Calyces

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.

somewhat asymmetric, slightly recessed opposite banner, (8.5–)9–12.3 mm, densely pilose;

tube (2.5–)2.7–3.5 mm, with 4 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate, becoming plumose.

Legumes

1.4–3 mm, pilosulous distally and, sometimes, glandular-punctate.

2.8–3.5 mm, distally with 2 rows of ascending hairs on either side of a glabrescent row, eglandular.

Seeds

1.7–2.4 mm.

2–2.8 mm.

Annual

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

Principal

leaves 2–9.5 cm;

leaflets (17–)21–35(–49), blades oblanceolate to obovate, (2–)3–12 mm.

leaves 1–3.5 cm;

leaflets 5, blades rhombic-ovate to lanceolate, 4–15(–20) mm, surfaces apparently eglandular.

Perennial

herbs, erect to decumbent or ascending, silky-pilose.

2n

= 14.

= 14.

Dalea leporina

Dalea wrightii

Phenology Flowering late summer–early winter. Flowering early spring–fall.
Habitat Disturbed, open, moist to dry ground. Rocky grasslands, desert slopes, on limestone.
Elevation 200–2600 m. (700–8500 ft.) 500–1800 m. (1600–5900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AZ; CO; IA; IL; IN; KS; MA; MI; MN; MO; ND; NE; NM; OH; PA; SD; TN; TX; VA; WI; Mexico; Central America; South America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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 wrightii occurs in southeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and trans-Pecos Texas.

(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. lasiathera, 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. villosa
Synonyms Psoralea leporina, D. alopecuroides, Parosela alopecuroides D. wrightii var. warnockii
Name authority (Aiton) Bullock: Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1939: 196. (1939) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 49. (1852)
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