Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea nana

Dalea tenuifolia

dwarf dalea, dwarf prairie-clover

bigtop dalea, flimleaf prairieclover, slimleaf prairie clover
Stems

(0.5–)1–3.5 dm, nearly eglandular.

(1.5–)2–5(–5.5) dm, usually pilosulous at base, glabrescent distally, eglandular.
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, moderately densely flowered, not involucrate, 8–10 mm diam.;

axis becoming partially visible, (0.5–)1–7(–9) cm;

bracts deciduous by anthesis, 2.5–4.5(–5.5) mm.
Peduncles

0–3.5 cm.

(0.9–)1.5–8(–12.5) cm.
Stamens

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

5, 6–8.3 mm, filaments distinct to 3.5–5 mm, anthers 0.9–1.5 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.

rose-purple;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5.5–6.5 mm, blade cordate, 2.3–3.1 × 2.6–3.1 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.7–3.4 × 1.2–1.5 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.

subsymmetric, (3.1–)3.4–4.5 mm, densely pilose;

tube (1.6–)1.9–2.4 mm, prominently to indistinctly 10-ribbed, ± circular in cross section, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate or adaxial pair ovate-lanceolate to ovate.
Legumes

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

2.8–3.5 mm, pilosulous and often gland-dotted distally.
Seeds

1.8–2.2 mm.

2 mm.
Perennial

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

herbs, diffusely spreading to decumbent, mostly pilosulous ± throughout.
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 2–4 cm;

leaflets 3 or 5, blades linear-oblanceolate, 10–22 mm.
2n

= 14.

Dalea nana

Dalea tenuifolia
Phenology Flowering late spring–summer (fall).
Habitat Rocky places, limestone soils.
Elevation 800–1400 m. (2600–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from USDA
sw United States; n Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CO; KS; NM; OK; TX
[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 tenuifolia is known from the southern high plains. In Texas, the species is found in the northern panhandle and extreme north-central part of the state.

(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. 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. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
Subordinate taxa
D. nana var. carnescens, D. nana var. nana
Synonyms Petalostemon tenuifolius
Name authority Torrey ex A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 31. (1849) (A. Gray) Shinners: Field & Lab. 17: 84. (1949)
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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