FNA: Dalea lumholtzii vs. Dalea mollis

	Dalea lumholtzii	Dalea mollis
	lumholtz's prairie clover	hairy prairie clover, silky dalea
Stems	1.5–5(–6) dm, glandular-verruculose.	1–3.5(–6.5) dm, glandular-tuberculate.
Inflorescences	spikes, densely flowered, not obviously involucrate, 6–8.5 mm diam.; axis not visible, 0.4–1.4(–3) cm; bracts persistent, (1.5–)2–4 mm.	racemes, ± densely flowered, pedicels with black, prickleshaped glands at base and toward apex, not involucrate, 8–14 mm diam.; axis not visible, (0.5–)1–3.5 cm; bracts deciduous, (3–)4.5–8 mm.
Peduncles	(1.5–)2.5–10 cm.	0.2–2.5(–4.5) cm.
Stamens	10, 5–7.7 mm, filaments distinct to 2.6–3.7 mm, anthers 0.6–0.7 mm.	10, 3.5–5.7 mm, filaments distinct to 2 mm, anthers 0.4–0.6 mm.
Corollas	white, or epistemonous petals blue or bluish; not conventionally papilionaceous; banner plane, 3–5.2 mm, blade ovate-elliptic to suborbiculate, not peltate, 2–2.4 × 2–2.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached near middle of stamen tube, blades 2.3–4 × 1.1–1.3 mm.	whitish, banner and keel sometimes lilac-tinged; papilionaceous; banner 3–4.2 mm, blades broadly triangular to suborbiculate-cordate, (1.5–)1.7–2.9 × 2.2–3.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached near or proximal to middle of stamen tube; wings 2.1–3 × 1.1–1.4 mm; keel detaching from stamen tube after anthesis, connate by overlapping margins, blades 2.3–3.4 × 1.4–2 mm.
Calyces	strongly asymmetric, deeply recessed opposite banner, 2.7–4(–4.3) mm, glabrate or pubescent distally; tube 2.1–2.8(–3) mm, with (0 or)3–6 minute glands between ribs, lobes subulate.	± symmetric, 3.3–6.6 mm, pilose; tube 1.6–2.5 mm, with (1 or)2–6 glands between ribs, lobes triangular or triangular-aristate.
Legumes	2.2–2.6 mm, puberulent distally, eglandular.	2.2–2.7 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.
Seeds	1.6–1.8 mm.	1.8–2.2 mm.
Perennial	herbs, erect, pilosulous to puberulent.
Principal	leaves (2–)2.5–5 cm; leaflets (9–)21–35, blades linear, linear-oblanceolate, or linear-elliptic, (1.5–)2–9(–10) mm.	leaves (0.5–)1–3.5 cm; leaflets (7 or) 9–13 (or 15), blades obovate to obcordate, (2–)3–8 mm, margins ± entire or obscurely undulate.
Annual		herbs, prostrate or decumbent, ± pilose or pilosulous.
2n		= 16 [Mexico].

	Dalea lumholtzii	Dalea mollis
Phenology	Flowering fall.	Flowering late winter–mid spring (fall–early winter).
Habitat	Open rocky hillsides and canyons, open pine or oak woodlands.	Sandy or rocky desert slopes, flats, roadsides.
Elevation	1400–1900 m. (4600–6200 ft.)	-50–700 m. (-200–2300 ft.)
Distribution	AZ; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora) [BONAP county map]	AZ; CA; NV; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Coahuila, Sonora) [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Some herbarium labels comment on the lemon odor of Dalea lumholtzii. Although the epistemonous petals are generally blue or bluish, white-petaled plants are not uncommon in the flora area. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)	Some collectors assume that Dalea mollis is perennial; the season of bloom can be long in a good year, and individual plants can be robust. Most of the fall and early-winter plants are collected in early bloom; an occasional plant from that time-period is taken in late bloom. Dalea mollis is similar to D. mollissima and mixed collections are relatively common. In California, D. mollis is known from the desert regions in the southeastern 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. lasiathera, D. leporina, 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. 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	B. L. Robinson & Fernald: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 30: 115. (1894)	Bentham: Pl. Hartw., 306. (1849)
Web links	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Dalea mollis

lumholtz's prairie clover

hairy prairie clover, silky dalea

Stems

1.5–5(–6) dm, glandular-verruculose.

1–3.5(–6.5) dm, glandular-tuberculate.

Inflorescences

spikes, densely flowered, not obviously involucrate, 6–8.5 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 0.4–1.4(–3) cm;

bracts persistent, (1.5–)2–4 mm.

racemes, ± densely flowered, pedicels with black, prickleshaped glands at base and toward apex, not involucrate, 8–14 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (0.5–)1–3.5 cm;

bracts deciduous, (3–)4.5–8 mm.

Peduncles

(1.5–)2.5–10 cm.

0.2–2.5(–4.5) cm.

Stamens

10, 5–7.7 mm, filaments distinct to 2.6–3.7 mm, anthers 0.6–0.7 mm.

10, 3.5–5.7 mm, filaments distinct to 2 mm, anthers 0.4–0.6 mm.

Corollas

white, or epistemonous petals blue or bluish;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner plane, 3–5.2 mm, blade ovate-elliptic to suborbiculate, not peltate, 2–2.4 × 2–2.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached near middle of stamen tube, blades 2.3–4 × 1.1–1.3 mm.

whitish, banner and keel sometimes lilac-tinged; papilionaceous;

banner 3–4.2 mm, blades broadly triangular to suborbiculate-cordate, (1.5–)1.7–2.9 × 2.2–3.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached near or proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2.1–3 × 1.1–1.4 mm;

keel detaching from stamen tube after anthesis, connate by overlapping margins, blades 2.3–3.4 × 1.4–2 mm.

Calyces

strongly asymmetric, deeply recessed opposite banner, 2.7–4(–4.3) mm, glabrate or pubescent distally;

tube 2.1–2.8(–3) mm, with (0 or)3–6 minute glands between ribs, lobes subulate.

± symmetric, 3.3–6.6 mm, pilose;

tube 1.6–2.5 mm, with (1 or)2–6 glands between ribs, lobes triangular or triangular-aristate.

Legumes

2.2–2.6 mm, puberulent distally, eglandular.

2.2–2.7 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.

Seeds

1.6–1.8 mm.

1.8–2.2 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, pilosulous to puberulent.

Principal

leaves (2–)2.5–5 cm;

leaflets (9–)21–35, blades linear, linear-oblanceolate, or linear-elliptic, (1.5–)2–9(–10) mm.

leaves (0.5–)1–3.5 cm;

leaflets (7 or) 9–13 (or 15), blades obovate to obcordate, (2–)3–8 mm, margins ± entire or obscurely undulate.

Annual

herbs, prostrate or decumbent, ± pilose or pilosulous.

= 16 [Mexico].

Dalea mollis

Phenology

Flowering fall.

Flowering late winter–mid spring (fall–early winter).

Habitat

Open rocky hillsides and canyons, open pine or oak woodlands.

Sandy or rocky desert slopes, flats, roadsides.

Elevation

1400–1900 m. (4600–6200 ft.)

-50–700 m. (-200–2300 ft.)

Distribution

AZ; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)

[BONAP county map]

AZ; CA; NV; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Coahuila, Sonora)

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Some herbarium labels comment on the lemon odor of Dalea lumholtzii. Although the epistemonous petals are generally blue or bluish, white-petaled plants are not uncommon in the flora area.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Some collectors assume that Dalea mollis is perennial; the season of bloom can be long in a good year, and individual plants can be robust. Most of the fall and early-winter plants are collected in early bloom; an occasional plant from that time-period is taken in late bloom. Dalea mollis is similar to D. mollissima and mixed collections are relatively common. In California, D. mollis is known from the desert regions in the southeastern part 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. lasiathera, D. leporina, 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. 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

B. L. Robinson & Fernald: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 30: 115. (1894)

Bentham: Pl. Hartw., 306. (1849)

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 lumholtzii

Dalea mollis

Dalea lumholtzii

Dalea mollis