Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea gattingeri

slimspike prairie clover

Gattinger prairie clover, purpletassels

Stems

(2.5–)3–7 dm, glandular-tuberculate.

1.5–3.5 dm, usually glabrous or glabrescent at base, pilosulous distally, eglandular or with scattered small glands.

Inflorescences

spikes, densely flowered, not obviously involucrate, 5.5–7.5 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (1.5–)2.5–9(–13) cm;

bracts early deciduous or proximals persistent, interfloral ones held in place by crowded flowers, 2.5–4.5 mm.

spikes, moderately densely flowered, not involucrate, (8–)9–10 mm diam.;

axis becoming partially visible, 1.5–7.5 cm;

bracts early deciduous or proximals persistent, interfloral ones held in place by crowded flowers, 3–5(–6) mm.

Peduncles

(1–)2–20(–25) cm.

0.5–2.5 cm.

Stamens

5, 5.2–7.4 mm, filaments distinct to 3–4.3 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 mm.

5, 6.3–7.8 mm, filaments distinct to 3.8–5.4 mm, anthers 0.8–1 mm.

Corollas

white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5.3–6.8 mm, blade deltate-obcordate, 2.8–3.5(–4) × 2.6–3.6(–5.2) mm; epistemonous petals attached at or near separation of filaments, blades 3–3.9 × 0.5–0.9 mm.

rose-purple;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5.2–6.2 mm, blade ovate, 2.1–2.6 × (1.6–)2–2.8 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.6–3.2 × 0.9–1.3 mm.

Calyces

asymmetric, deeply recessed opposite banner, 2.5–3.8 mm, glabrous or pilosulous;

tube 1.7–2.5(–2.8) mm, with 1 or 2 blister glands between ribs, adaxial with 3–7, lobes triangular-subulate or adaxial pair broadly triangular.

subsymmetric, 4–5 mm, pilose-tomentulose;

tube 2–2.5(–2.7) mm, prominently to indistinctly 10-ribbed, ± circular in cross section, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate or adaxial pair ovate.

Legumes

2.5–2.9 mm, pilosulous distally, sometimes also gland-dotted.

2.8–3.3 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.

Seeds

apparently unknown.

2.2 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, pilosulous throughout or in part.

herbs, diffusely spreading, distally pilosulous on stems.

Principal

leaves 2.5–5.5(–6.5) cm;

leaflets 13–41(–49), blades oblong to oblanceolate or oblong-elliptic, 2–14 mm, surfaces glandular-verruculose abaxially.

leaves 2–3.5 cm;

leaflets 5 or 7(or 9), blades linear to linear-oblanceolate or linear-elliptic, 8–18 mm.

= 14.

Dalea gattingeri

Phenology

Flowering late spring–summer.

Habitat

Cedar glades and barrens, on rocky, calcareous soils.

Elevation

150–500 m. (500–1600 ft.)

Distribution

sc United States

[BONAP county map]

AL; AR; GA; MO; TN

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

B. L. Turner (2013) divided Dalea phleoides into three species: D. phleoides, distinguished from D. drummondiana by longer leaf blades and calyces, and D. carrizoana, based on the absence of indument and an allopatric distribution (from DeWitt to Maverick counties) south of the range of the other two species; the latter two are treated here as synonyms of D. phleoides var. microphylla.

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

Dalea gattingeri is a narrow habitat specialist that can be locally common in suitable habitat.

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

Key

1. Leaflets 13–21(–25), blades 5–14 mm.	var. phleoides
1. Leaflets 25–41(–49), blades 2–7 mm.	var. microphylla

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. multiflora, D. nana, D. neomexicana, D. obovata, D. ornata, 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. 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. phleoides var. microphylla, D. phleoides var. phleoides

Synonyms

Petalostemon phleoides

Kuhnistera gattingeri, Petalostemon gattingeri

Name authority

(Torrey & A. Gray) Shinners: Field & Lab. 17: 83. (1949)

(A. Heller) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 274. (1977)

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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