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

roundhead prairie clover

Gregg's dalea, Gregg's prairie clover

Habit Subshrubs, horizontal-spreading, mat-forming, at least young foliage silky-pilosulous.
Stems

3–8 dm, glandular-punctate.

procumbent or arching, often rooting along stems, 3–5(–20+) dm, eglandular or glandular-verruculose distally.

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

axis usually not visible, 0.4–3(–5.5) cm;

bracts persistent, 2–4 mm.

Peduncles

(0–)0.5–3(–7) cm.

0–4(–6) cm.

Stamens

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

10, 5.5–7.5 mm, filaments distinct to 1.7–2.4 mm, anthers 0.5–0.7 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.

bicolored, banner cream to pale yellow, reddish in age, epistemonous petals pink to pink-purple; papilionaceous;

banner 4.4–6.2 mm, blade deltate-cordate, 2.6–3.5 × 3.2–4.3 mm, proximal lobes connate, forming obconic pit; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 3.2–4.6 × 1.6–2.4 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 4–4.8(–5.3) × 2.2–3.3 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, (4–)4.2–6 mm, silky-pilosulous;

tube (2–)2.2–2.8(–3) mm, usually with 3–8(–10) blister glands between ribs (scattered or in a row), lobes triangular-acuminate to lanceolate or aristate, unequal, abaxial longest.

Legumes

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

2.1–2.8 mm, pilosulous and gland-dotted distally.

Seeds

1.6–2 mm.

1.6–2 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 0.6–2.5(–3) cm;

leaflets 5–9, blades obovate to oblanceolate, 2–7(–9) mm.

2n

= 14 (Mexico).

Dalea multiflora

Dalea greggii

Phenology Flowering late spring–early fall. Flowering spring, fall, (year-round).
Habitat Prairies, rocky hills. Rocky slopes, deserts, open woodlands, limestone soils.
Elevation 0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.) 600–1400 m. (2000–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; KS; MO; NE; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, south as far as Oaxaca)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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 greggii is cultivated as a ground cover and for erosion control in xeriscaping. In Texas, the species is known from the eastern trans-Pecos and Big Bend regions.

(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. 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. 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
Name authority (Nuttall) Shinners: Field & Lab. 17: 82. (1949) A. Gray: Pl. Nov. Thurb., 314. (1854)
Web links