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Blue Mountain prairie-clover, ornate dalea, western prairie clover

lumholtz's prairie clover

Stems

(2–)2.5–6(–7) dm, dotted with small, raised glands.

1.5–5(–6) dm, glandular-verruculose.

Inflorescences

spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 13–16 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (1–)1.5–5 cm;

bracts deciduous, interfloral ones often held in place by crowded flowers, (3–)4–7.5(–8.5) mm.

spikes, densely flowered, not obviously involucrate, 6–8.5 mm diam.;

axis not visible, 0.4–1.4(–3) cm;

bracts persistent, (1.5–)2–4 mm.

Peduncles

1–11 cm.

(1.5–)2.5–10 cm.

Stamens

5, (7.3–)7.7–12 mm, filaments distinct to (3.6–)4.7–7.6 mm, anthers 1–1.4 mm.

10, 5–7.7 mm, filaments distinct to 2.6–3.7 mm, anthers 0.6–0.7 mm.

Corollas

usually rose-purple to lilac, rarely white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 7–9 mm, blade ovate to oblong-ovate, 3.3–4.5 × (2–)2.3–4 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades (3.3–)3.5–5 × 1.4–2 mm.

white, or epistemonous petals blue or bluish;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner plane, 3–5.2 mm, blade ovate-elliptic to suborbiculate, not peltate, 2–2.4 × 2–2.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached near middle of stamen tube, blades 2.3–4 × 1.1–1.3 mm.

Calyces

subsymmetric, (3.6–)3.9–6.3(–6.7) mm, pilose throughout or distally;

tube (2.4–)2.7–3.6(–3.8) mm, with 2–9 small glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate to ovate.

strongly asymmetric, deeply recessed opposite banner, 2.7–4(–4.3) mm, glabrate or pubescent distally;

tube 2.1–2.8(–3) mm, with (0 or)3–6 minute glands between ribs, lobes subulate.

Legumes

3–3.5 mm, pilosulous distally and gland-dotted.

2.2–2.6 mm, puberulent distally, eglandular.

Seeds

2–2.4 mm.

1.6–1.8 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescence.

herbs, erect, pilosulous to puberulent.

Principal

leaves 2.5–5.5(–6.5) cm;

leaflets 5 or 7 (or 9), blades oblanceolate to obovate, 7–22 mm.

leaves (2–)2.5–5 cm;

leaflets (9–)21–35, blades linear, linear-oblanceolate, or linear-elliptic, (1.5–)2–9(–10) mm.

2n

= 14.

Dalea ornata

Dalea lumholtzii

Phenology Flowering spring–early summer. Flowering fall.
Habitat Rocky, sandy, or clay soils in dry areas, often among sagebrush. Open rocky hillsides and canyons, open pine or oak woodlands.
Elevation 100–2000 m. (300–6600 ft.) 1400–1900 m. (4600–6200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; ID; NV; OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Dalea ornata is nearly endemic to the Columbia-Snake river basin. In California, the species is known only from the Shaffer Mountain region in Lassen County.

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

Some herbarium labels comment on the lemon odor of Dalea lumholtzii. Although the epistemonous petals are generally blue or bluish, white-petaled plants are not uncommon in the flora area.

(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. multiflora, D. nana, D. neomexicana, D. obovata, 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. 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 ornatus
Name authority (Douglas) Eaton & Wright: Man. Bot. ed. 8, 219. (1840) — (as ornatum) B. L. Robinson & Fernald: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 30: 115. (1894)
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