Flora of North America species comparison

The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

Dalea multiflora

Dalea brachystachys

roundhead prairie clover
Stems

3–8 dm, glandular-punctate.

(0.5–)1–3.5(–4) dm, eglandular or sparsely glandular-verruculose.
Inflorescences

spikes, densely flowered, nearly globose, inconspicuously involucrate (lowest bracts not subtending flowers), 7–9 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 0.4–1(–1.2) cm;

bracts early deciduous or proximals persistent, interfloral ones held in place by crowded flowers, 2–2.4 mm.

spikes, densely flowered, not obviously involucrate, 8–11 mm diam.;

axis not to partially visible, 0.3–1.6 cm;

bracts deciduous near anthesis, 2.5–6 mm.
Peduncles

(0–)0.5–3(–7) cm.

1–7 cm.
Stamens

5, (5–)5.2–7.6 mm, filaments distinct to 2.5–4.5 mm, anthers 0.7–1.2 mm.

(9 or)10, 3.5–5.5 mm, filaments distinct to 1–1.4(–2) mm, anthers 0.3–0.5(–0.6) mm.
Corollas

white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner (4–)4.2–5.7 mm, blade deltate-obovate, 2.3–3.4 × 2.4–3.7(–4.2) mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.3–3.5 × 1.5–2.1 mm.

clear yellow, pinkish or brownish in age; papilionaceous;

banner 2–3.4(–6) mm, blade deltate-ovate or cordate, 1–2 × 1–2 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 1–2(–2.9) × 0.7–1.1(–1.8) mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 1.8–2.8(–3.8) × 1.3–2(–2.4) mm.
Calyces

subsymmetric, (2.9–)3–4.2(–4.4) mm, glabrous, lobes ciliolate;

tube 1.6–2.6 mm, not deeply recessed opposite banner, with 1(–3) small blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate to triangular, ± unequal, abaxial pair longest.

subsymmetric, (3.5–)4.4–5.8(–6) mm, pilose;

tube 1.5–2.1 mm, with (0–)3 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate.
Legumes

2.5–3 mm, glabrate, with ± prominent elongated glands on sides.

2.3–2.6 mm, pilosulous and, sometimes, gland-dotted distally.
Seeds

1.6–2 mm.

1.4–1.7 mm.
Perennial

herbs, erect to spreading, glabrous.

Principal

leaves 2–3 cm;

leaflets (7 or)9 or 11(or 13), blades oblong to elliptic-oblanceolate, or linear-oblong, 7–13 mm.

leaves 0.8–2.5(–3) cm;

leaflets (3 or)5–11, blades oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, 2–14(–16) mm.
Annual

herbs (monocarpic), erect or diffuse, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
2n

= 14.

Dalea multiflora

Dalea brachystachys
Phenology Flowering late spring–early fall. Flowering late summer–fall (spring).
Habitat Prairies, rocky hills. Dry, open habitats in deserts, desert grasslands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands.
Elevation 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.) 1300–2500 m. (4300–8200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; KS; MO; NE; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas)
Discussion

Dalea multiflora shows considerable geographic variation in stature. Its floral structure is similar to that of D. candida var. candida, and individuals intermediate between the two species occur (R. C. Barneby 1977c). In Texas, D. multiflora is known from the eastern two-thirds of the state.

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

Dalea brachystachys is found as far south as southeastern Puebla. In the flora area, it is most common in extreme southeastern Arizona and adjacent southwestern New Mexico, with scattered populations through much of both states. Unlike most annual Dalea species, it is rarely weedy.

(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. mollissima, 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. 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, D. wrightii
Synonyms Petalostemon multiflorus, Kuhnistera multiflora D. lemmonii
Name authority (Nuttall) Shinners: Field & Lab. 17: 82. (1949) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 39. (1853)
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).



Type/paste one or more Latin names into the boxes above; matching taxa will show up below the box as you type. You can use the up/down arrow keys to move through the list.

(If the plant you're looking for doesn't show up in the auto-complete list, that means it either isn't described in Flora of North America yet, or it's listed under a synonym. And please note that Flora of North America is still missing several plant families, including Apiaceae, Boraginaceae, and Polemoniaceae.)

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

The species comparison tool is brought to you by:
Northwest Wildflowers