FNA: Dalea mollissima vs. Dalea lachnostachys

	Dalea mollissima	Dalea lachnostachys
	downy dalea, silky dalea, soft prairie clover	glandleaf prairie clover
Stems	0.5–3.5 dm, glandular-tuberculate.	1.5–4 dm, black-warty.
Inflorescences	racemes, spikelike, densely flowered, not involucrate, (12–)13–16(–17) mm diam.; axis not visible, 1.5–7.5 cm; bracts deciduous, 4.5–7 mm.	racemes, spikelike, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, (15–)16–19(–20) mm diam.; axis usually not visible, 2.5–5 cm; bracts deciduous, 7–11 mm.
Peduncles	0.2–2.5(–4.5) cm.	1–8(–11) cm.
Stamens	10, 4.3–5 mm, filaments distinct to 1 mm, anthers 0.4–0.5 mm.	10, 6.6–8.7 mm, filaments distinct to 2.3–2.9 mm, anthers (0.5–)0.6–0.8 mm.
Corollas	whitish, banner sometimes lilac-tinged, keel tip sometimes lilac-tinged; papilionaceous; banner 2.8–3.7 mm, blade broadly triangular to suborbiculate-cordate, (1.6–)1.8–2.2 × (1.4–)1.7–2.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube; wings 1.8–2.1 × 1.1–1.3 mm; keel detaching from stamen column after anthesis, connate by overlapping margins, blades 2.6–2.9 × 1.5–1.8 mm.	dark blue or blue-violet; papilionaceous; banner 5.7–7.6 mm, blade shallowly cordate, (3.5–)3.8–4.8 × 2.2–3.8 mm; epistemonous petals attached well proximal to middle of stamen tube; wings 3.7–5 × 1.3–1.8 mm; keel connate by overlapping margins, blades (3.8–)4–4.7 × 1.7–2.2 mm.
Calyces	± symmetric, (5.8–)6.1–8.2 mm, pilose; tube (2.5–)2.7–3.3 mm, with (3 or)4–7 glands between ribs, lobes triangular or triangular-aristate.	± symmetric, (4.3–)5.8–7.7 mm, pilose; tube 2.6–3.1 mm, with 3 or 4 small glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate.
Legumes	2.4–3 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.	(3–)3.3–4 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.
Seeds	1.8–2.2 mm.	1.8–2.4 mm.
Annual	herbs, prostrate or decumbent, ± pilose or pilosulous.
Principal	leaves 2–4 cm; leaflets 9–15, blades cuneate-obovate, 3–9(–10) mm, margins undulate-crenate.	leaves 3–8(–9.5) cm; leaflets (5 or) 7 or 9 (or 11), blades obovate, (5–)7–17 mm, margins entire or ± crenulate, surfaces glandular-pustulate around margins abaxially.
Perennial		herbs, erect, ± pilosulous.
2n	= 16.	= 14.

	Dalea mollissima	Dalea lachnostachys
Phenology	Flowering early spring(–fall, winter).	Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat	Sandy or rocky desert slopes, flats, roadsides.	Open deserts, dry grasslands, open woodlands, sometimes on limestone.
Elevation	0–900 m. (0–3000 ft.)	1000–1800 m. (3300–5900 ft.)
Distribution	AZ; CA; NV; TX; Mexico (Baja California) [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora) [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Although Dalea mollissima normally blooms early in the spring, with adequate summer moisture it germinates in fall and winters over, so that individual plants can be large and may be mistaken as perennial. It resembles D. mollis, with which it overlaps in range, and may be collected with that species. Cuneate-obovate and undulate-margined leaves of D. mollissima resemble those of D. neomexicana, leading to further confusion among herbarium specimens. In California, D. mollissima is known only from the desert regions in the southeastern part of the state. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)	Dalea lachnostachys occurs in southern Arizona, southwestern 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. leporina, D. lumholtzii, D. mollis, 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. 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, D. wrightii
Synonyms	Parosela mollissima
Name authority	(Rydberg) Munz: Aliso 4: 93. (1958)	A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 46. (1852)
Web links	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	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Dalea lachnostachys

downy dalea, silky dalea, soft prairie clover

glandleaf prairie clover

Stems

0.5–3.5 dm, glandular-tuberculate.

1.5–4 dm, black-warty.

Inflorescences

racemes, spikelike, densely flowered, not involucrate, (12–)13–16(–17) mm diam.;

axis not visible, 1.5–7.5 cm;

bracts deciduous, 4.5–7 mm.

racemes, spikelike, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, (15–)16–19(–20) mm diam.;

axis usually not visible, 2.5–5 cm;

bracts deciduous, 7–11 mm.

Peduncles

0.2–2.5(–4.5) cm.

1–8(–11) cm.

Stamens

10, 4.3–5 mm, filaments distinct to 1 mm, anthers 0.4–0.5 mm.

10, 6.6–8.7 mm, filaments distinct to 2.3–2.9 mm, anthers (0.5–)0.6–0.8 mm.

Corollas

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

banner 2.8–3.7 mm, blade broadly triangular to suborbiculate-cordate, (1.6–)1.8–2.2 × (1.4–)1.7–2.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 1.8–2.1 × 1.1–1.3 mm;

keel detaching from stamen column after anthesis, connate by overlapping margins, blades 2.6–2.9 × 1.5–1.8 mm.

dark blue or blue-violet; papilionaceous;

banner 5.7–7.6 mm, blade shallowly cordate, (3.5–)3.8–4.8 × 2.2–3.8 mm; epistemonous petals attached well proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 3.7–5 × 1.3–1.8 mm;

keel connate by overlapping margins, blades (3.8–)4–4.7 × 1.7–2.2 mm.

Calyces

± symmetric, (5.8–)6.1–8.2 mm, pilose;

tube (2.5–)2.7–3.3 mm, with (3 or)4–7 glands between ribs, lobes triangular or triangular-aristate.

± symmetric, (4.3–)5.8–7.7 mm, pilose;

tube 2.6–3.1 mm, with 3 or 4 small glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate.

Legumes

2.4–3 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.

(3–)3.3–4 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.

Seeds

1.8–2.2 mm.

1.8–2.4 mm.

Annual

herbs, prostrate or decumbent, ± pilose or pilosulous.

Principal

leaves 2–4 cm;

leaflets 9–15, blades cuneate-obovate, 3–9(–10) mm, margins undulate-crenate.

leaves 3–8(–9.5) cm;

leaflets (5 or) 7 or 9 (or 11), blades obovate, (5–)7–17 mm, margins entire or ± crenulate, surfaces glandular-pustulate around margins abaxially.

Perennial

herbs, erect, ± pilosulous.

= 16.

= 14.

Dalea lachnostachys

Phenology

Flowering early spring(–fall, winter).

Flowering late summer–fall.

Habitat

Sandy or rocky desert slopes, flats, roadsides.

Open deserts, dry grasslands, open woodlands, sometimes on limestone.

Elevation

0–900 m. (0–3000 ft.)

1000–1800 m. (3300–5900 ft.)

Distribution

AZ; CA; NV; TX; Mexico (Baja California)

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora)

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Although Dalea mollissima normally blooms early in the spring, with adequate summer moisture it germinates in fall and winters over, so that individual plants can be large and may be mistaken as perennial. It resembles D. mollis, with which it overlaps in range, and may be collected with that species. Cuneate-obovate and undulate-margined leaves of D. mollissima resemble those of D. neomexicana, leading to further confusion among herbarium specimens. In California, D. mollissima is known only from the desert regions in the southeastern part of the state.

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

Dalea lachnostachys occurs in southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and trans-Pecos Texas.

(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. lumholtzii, D. mollis, 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. 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, D. wrightii

Synonyms

Parosela mollissima

Name authority

(Rydberg) Munz: Aliso 4: 93. (1958)

A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 46. (1852)

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 mollissima

Dalea lachnostachys

Dalea mollissima

Dalea lachnostachys