Dalea pulchra |
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Santa Catalina prairie-clover |
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Habit | Shrubs, relatively erect, stiffly-branching, silky- or velvety-pubescent distally. |
Stems | 5–10 dm, verruculose distally. |
Inflorescences | spikes, densely flowered, obviously involucrate (proximalmost several whorls of bracts subtending rudimentary buds), 11.5–16 mm diam.; axis not visible, 0.4–0.7 cm; bracts deciduous, interfloral ones sometimes held in place by crowded flowers, 2–6.5 mm. |
Peduncles | 0–1 cm. |
Stamens | 10, 7.5–9 mm, filaments distinct to 1.8–2.8 mm, anthers 0.6–0.7 mm. |
Corollas | bicolored, banner cream, reddish in age, epistemonous petals pink-purple; papilionaceous; banner 6–7.5 mm, blade ovate- or deltate-cordate, 2.8–4.2 × 3.4–4.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube; wings 4.1–5 × 2–2.6 mm; keel connate valvately, blades 5.2–6.8 × 3–3.5 mm. |
Calyces | asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, (4.5–)4.8–7.2 mm, densely pilose; tube 2.4–3.4 mm, hyaline intervals usually with row of inconspicuous blister glands between ribs (or eglandular), lobes triangular-aristate, spurred laterally near proximal end, unequal, abaxial longest. |
Legumes | 2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular. |
Seeds | 1.5–1.8 mm. |
Principal | leaves 0.5–1.5 cm; leaflets 5 or 7(or 9), blades obovate to oblanceolate, 1.5–5 mm. |
2n | = 14. |
Dalea pulchra |
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Phenology | Flowering spring. |
Habitat | Sandy to gravelly or rocky grasslands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, desert scrub. |
Elevation | 900–1400 m. (3000–4600 ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
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Discussion | Plants of Dalea pulchra are attractive in flower. The spikes shatter quickly at anthesis; legumes and seeds are seldom seen. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 11. |
Parent taxa | Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Dalea |
Sibling taxa | |
Name authority | Gentry: Madroño 10: 227, plate 14. (1950) |
Web links |