Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea nana

Dalea enneandra

dwarf dalea, dwarf prairie-clover

bigtop dalea, nine-anther dalea, nineanther prairie clover
Stems

(0.5–)1–3.5 dm, nearly eglandular.

(5–)6–12 dm, eglandular or sparsely glandular-punctate.
Inflorescences

spikes, densely to loosely flowered, not involucrate, 7–13(–15) mm diam.;

axis not to partially visible, 0.5–4(–5) cm;

bracts deciduous at anthesis or later, 2.5–5.5 mm.

spikes, remotely flowered, most flowers separated by distinct intervals, not involucrate, 7–10 mm diam.;

axis visible, (1–)2.5–12 cm;

bracts persistent, enfolding and falling with fruit, 3–4.2 mm.
Peduncles

0–3.5 cm.

0.5–3.5(–5.5) cm.
Stamens

10, (6–)6.4–10 mm, filaments distinct to 1.1–2.3 mm, anthers 0.4–0.7 mm.

9, 6.3–9.4 mm, filaments distinct to 2.2–3.5 mm, anthers 0.8–1.2 mm.
Corollas

clear yellow, purplish or brownish in age; papilionaceous;

banner (4–)4.4–5.5 mm, blade suborbiculate-cordate to reniform, 1.5–3.2 × (1.5–)2–3.6 mm; epistemonous petals attached near or distal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2.1–3.7 × 0.9–1.8 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 2.9–4.8 × 1.6–2.8 mm.

white; papilionaceous;

banner 5.7–7 mm, blade broadly ovate, 3.6–4 × 3.2–4.2 mm, proximal lobes connate, forming obconic pit; epistemonous petals attached near or proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2.7–3.4 × 1.4–2 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades (4.5–)4.8–5.8 × 2.6–3 mm.
Calyces

subsymmetric, 4.5–6.5(–7.5) mm, densely pilose;

tube 1.9–2.7 mm, with 3 or 4 small glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate, becoming plumose.

± asymmetric, opening oblique, 6.2–7.6 mm, silky-pilosulous;

tube 3–3.5(–3.7) mm, with 3 or 4 inconspicuous glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate, becoming plumose.
Legumes

2.5–3 mm, distally with 2 rows of ascending hairs on either side of a glabrescent row, eglandular.

3–3.7 mm, pilosulous and, sometimes, gland-dotted distally.
Seeds

1.8–2.2 mm.

2.4–2.8 mm.
Perennial

herbs, prostrate, diffusely spreading, or erect, silky-pilosulous.

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
Principal

leaves 1–2.5(–3) cm;

leaflets (3 or)5(or 7), blades obovate to olanceolate, 3–15 mm, surfaces inconspicuously glandular-punctate abaxially.

leaves 1.3–2.6 cm;

leaflets (3–)7–11(or 13), blades narrowly oblanceolate or elliptic, 4–11(–12) mm.
2n

= 14.

Dalea nana

Dalea enneandra
Phenology Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Plains, prairies, many substrates.
Elevation 30–1400 m. (100–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
sw United States; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; IA; IL; KS; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WY
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Dalea nana shows extensive variability in a number of features, including habit, height, and bract shape.

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

Dalea enneandra is native to the Great Plains and as far east as the Texas coast and the loess hill prairies of western Iowa and northwestern Missouri. It is naturalized in DuPage County, Illinois. Its persistent calyx aids in wind dispersal of fruit.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Bracts 2–4 mm wide; spikes loosely flowered, axis partially visible.
var. nana
1. Bracts 1.2–2 mm wide; spikes densely flowered, axis not visible.
var. carnescens
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. multiflora, 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. 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
Subordinate taxa
D. nana var. carnescens, D. nana var. nana
Synonyms Parosela enneandra
Name authority Torrey ex A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 31. (1849) Nuttall: Cat. Pl. Upper Louisiana, no. 30. (1813)
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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