Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea tenuifolia

slimspike prairie clover

bigtop dalea, flimleaf prairieclover, slimleaf prairie clover

Stems

(2.5–)3–7 dm, glandular-tuberculate.

(1.5–)2–5(–5.5) dm, usually pilosulous at base, glabrescent distally, eglandular.

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, 8–10 mm diam.;

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

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

Peduncles

(1–)2–20(–25) cm.

(0.9–)1.5–8(–12.5) cm.

Stamens

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

5, 6–8.3 mm, filaments distinct to 3.5–5 mm, anthers 0.9–1.5 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 5.5–6.5 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

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, (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

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

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

Seeds

apparently unknown.

2 mm.

Perennial

herbs, erect, pilosulous throughout or in part.

herbs, diffusely spreading to decumbent, mostly pilosulous ± throughout.

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 2–4 cm;

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

= 14.

Dalea tenuifolia

Phenology

Flowering late spring–summer (fall).

Habitat

Rocky places, limestone soils.

Elevation

800–1400 m. (2600–4600 ft.)

Distribution

sc United States

[BONAP county map]

CO; KS; NM; OK; TX

[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 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. 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. 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. phleoides var. microphylla, D. phleoides var. phleoides

Synonyms

Petalostemon phleoides

Petalostemon tenuifolius

Name authority

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

(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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