Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea neomexicana

lumholtz's prairie clover

downy prairie-clover, New Mexico dalea

Stems

1.5–5(–6) dm, glandular-verruculose.

0.3–3.5 dm, sparsely to densely glandular-pustulate.

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, spikelike, densely flowered, not involucrate, 1.3–1.6 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 1–6 cm;

bracts soon deciduous, 2–6 mm.

Peduncles

(1.5–)2.5–10 cm.

0.3–0.4 cm.

Stamens

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

10, 5–6.7 mm, filaments distinct to 2.4 mm, anthers 0.5–0.7(–1) 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.

bicolored, banner whitish, violet-tinged, other petals white or whitish; papilionaceous;

banner 4–5.6 mm, blades ± cordate, (2.8–)3–3.7 × 2.3–3.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2.4–3.3 × 1.3–1.8 mm;

keel persistent, remaining attached to stamen column, connate by overlapping margins, blades 2.4–3.5 × 1.8–2.2 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, 4.2–8 mm, densely pilose;

tube 2.1–3.1 mm, with 5–7(–9) glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate or plumose.

Legumes

2.2–2.6 mm, puberulent distally, eglandular.

1.2–3 mm, pilose distally, eglandular.

Seeds

1.6–1.8 mm.

1.7–2.4 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, pilosulous to puberulent.

herbs, matted or tufted, gray-silky pubescent.

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 0.8–4.5 cm;

leaflets 7–15, blades cuneate-obcordate to obovate or elliptic-ovate, 2.5–8 mm, margins entire or undulate-crenate.

Dalea neomexicana

Phenology

Flowering fall.

Habitat

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

Elevation

1400–1900 m. (4600–6200 ft.)

Distribution

AZ; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)

[BONAP county map]

sw United States; n Mexico

[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.)

Varieties 3 (2 in the flora).

Dalea neomexicana somewhat resembles Marina calycosa in habit and overall appearance. It is sometimes confused also with D. mollis and D. mollissima, since the annual nature of those species is not always apparent in well-developed plants.

Variety megaladenia Barneby is known from northern Mexico in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango.

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

Key

1. Leaflet blades cuneate-obcordate, margins usually undulate-crenulate.	var. neomexicana
1. Leaflet blades obovate or elliptic-ovate, margins usually entire.	var. longipila

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. mollis, D. mollissima, D. multiflora, D. nana, 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

Subordinate taxa

D. neomexicana var. longipila, D. neomexicana var. neomexicana

Synonyms

D. mollis var. neomexicana

Name authority

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

(A. Gray) Cory: Rhodora 38: 406. (1936)

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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