FNA: Dalea multiflora vs. Dalea searlsiae

	Dalea multiflora	Dalea searlsiae
	roundhead prairie clover	Searls' prairie clover
Stems	3–8 dm, glandular-punctate.	(2.5–)3–5.5 dm, glandular-tuberculate.
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 obviously involucrate, (8–)9–11 mm diam.; axis partially visible at anthesis, (1.5–)2–9(–14) cm; bracts deciduous, 3–5(–6) mm.
Peduncles	(0–)0.5–3(–7) cm.	(2.5–)4–16(–20) cm.
Stamens	5, (5–)5.2–7.6 mm, filaments distinct to 2.5–4.5 mm, anthers 0.7–1.2 mm.	5, 5.5–8.5 mm, filaments distinct to 3–5.1 mm, anthers 1.1–1.5 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.	usually rose-purple, rarely white; not conventionally papilionaceous; banner 5.3–7.2 mm, blade ovate to ovate-triangular or -oblong, 2.8–3.7 × 2.2–3.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades (2.7–)3–4.1 × (0.9–)1.1–1.6 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.	asymmetric, deeply recessed opposite banner, opening oblique, (3.2–)3.5–4.6(–4.8) mm, glabrous or pilosulous proximally, pilosulous distally; tube 2–2.8 mm, with (0 or)2–4 small, pale blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate-subulate or adaxial pair triangular-ovate.
Legumes	2.5–3 mm, glabrate, with ± prominent elongated glands on sides.	3.2–4 mm, pilosulous to ± glabrous distally and gland-dotted.
Seeds	1.6–2 mm.	2–2.8 mm.
Perennial	herbs, erect to spreading, glabrous.	herbs, erect, pilosulous throughout or glabrous proximal to inflorescence.
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 2–5.5 cm; leaflets 5 or 7(or 9), blades flat or folded, oblanceolate to obovate, 7–20 mm, surfaces glandular-tuberculate abaxially.

	Dalea multiflora	Dalea searlsiae
Phenology	Flowering late spring–early fall.	Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat	Prairies, rocky hills.	Rocky or sandy slopes or washes, among pine, juniper, or oak, sometimes in desert scrub.
Elevation	0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.)	1100–2000 m. (3600–6600 ft.)
Distribution	CO; KS; MO; NE; OK; TX [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	AZ; CA; NV; UT [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.)	The ranges of Dalea searlsiae and D. flavescens overlap only in a small area of south-central Utah and north-central Arizona. In California, D. searlsiae is known from the Inyo and White mountains and other desert mountains 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. 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. 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. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
Synonyms	Petalostemon multiflorus, Kuhnistera multiflora	Petalostemon searlsiae
Name authority	(Nuttall) Shinners: Field & Lab. 17: 82. (1949)	(A. Gray) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 234. (1977)
Web links	Local Web sites: KS Wildflowers, MO Plants 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 searlsiae

roundhead prairie clover

Searls' prairie clover

Stems

3–8 dm, glandular-punctate.

(2.5–)3–5.5 dm, glandular-tuberculate.

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 obviously involucrate, (8–)9–11 mm diam.;

axis partially visible at anthesis, (1.5–)2–9(–14) cm;

bracts deciduous, 3–5(–6) mm.

Peduncles

(0–)0.5–3(–7) cm.

(2.5–)4–16(–20) cm.

Stamens

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

5, 5.5–8.5 mm, filaments distinct to 3–5.1 mm, anthers 1.1–1.5 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.

usually rose-purple, rarely white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5.3–7.2 mm, blade ovate to ovate-triangular or -oblong, 2.8–3.7 × 2.2–3.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades (2.7–)3–4.1 × (0.9–)1.1–1.6 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.

asymmetric, deeply recessed opposite banner, opening oblique, (3.2–)3.5–4.6(–4.8) mm, glabrous or pilosulous proximally, pilosulous distally;

tube 2–2.8 mm, with (0 or)2–4 small, pale blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate-subulate or adaxial pair triangular-ovate.

Legumes

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

3.2–4 mm, pilosulous to ± glabrous distally and gland-dotted.

Seeds

1.6–2 mm.

2–2.8 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect to spreading, glabrous.

herbs, erect, pilosulous throughout or glabrous proximal to inflorescence.

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 2–5.5 cm;

leaflets 5 or 7(or 9), blades flat or folded, oblanceolate to obovate, 7–20 mm, surfaces glandular-tuberculate abaxially.

Dalea searlsiae

Phenology

Flowering late spring–early fall.

Flowering spring–summer.

Habitat

Prairies, rocky hills.

Rocky or sandy slopes or washes, among pine, juniper, or oak, sometimes in desert scrub.

Elevation

0–700 m. (0–2300 ft.)

1100–2000 m. (3600–6600 ft.)

Distribution

CO; KS; MO; NE; OK; TX

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

AZ; CA; NV; UT

[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.)

The ranges of Dalea searlsiae and D. flavescens overlap only in a small area of south-central Utah and north-central Arizona. In California, D. searlsiae is known from the Inyo and White mountains and other desert mountains 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. 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. 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. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii

Synonyms

Petalostemon multiflorus, Kuhnistera multiflora

Petalostemon searlsiae

Name authority

(Nuttall) Shinners: Field & Lab. 17: 82. (1949)

(A. Gray) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 234. (1977)

Web links

Local Web sites: KS Wildflowers, MO Plants
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist (observations)
USDA Plants Database
LBJ Wildflower Center
SEINet
Plants of the World Online
Encyclopedia of Life
Wikipedia
Google Image Search

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).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

The species comparison tool is brought to you by:

Flora of North America species comparison

Dalea multiflora

Dalea searlsiae

Dalea multiflora

Dalea searlsiae