Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea pulchra

Dalea aurea

Santa Catalina prairie-clover

golden dalea, golden prairie clover
Habit Shrubs, relatively erect, stiffly-branching, silky- or velvety-pubescent distally.
Stems

5–10 dm, verruculose distally.

(2–)3–7.5 dm, nearly eglandular.
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.

spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, (12–)14–21 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (1–)1.5–6 cm;

bracts persistent to anthesis, 2.5–5.5 mm.
Peduncles

0–1 cm.

absent or very short, sometimes appearing relatively long due to small size of distalmost leaves.
Stamens

10, 7.5–9 mm, filaments distinct to 1.8–2.8 mm, anthers 0.6–0.7 mm.

10, 10–12.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.5–3 mm, anthers 0.6–0.9 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.

clear yellow; papilionaceous;

banner 6.3–8.6 mm, blade deltate-cordate, 3–4.2 × 3.2–4.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached near middle of stamen tube;

wings 4.7–5.6 × 2–2.4 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades (4.7–)5–7 × 2.6–3.2 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.

subsymmetric, 6.1–7.4 mm, silky-pilose;

tube 2.2–2.8 mm, with 3 or 4 small glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate-aristate, becoming plumose.
Legumes

2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular.

3–3.5 mm, distally with 2 rows of ascending hairs on either side of a glabrescent row, eglandular.
Seeds

1.5–1.8 mm.

2–2.4 mm.
Principal

leaves 0.5–1.5 cm;

leaflets 5 or 7(or 9), blades obovate to oblanceolate, 1.5–5 mm.

leaves 1–3.5(–4) cm;

leaflets (3 or)5(or 7), blades obovate to oblong-oblanceolate, (3–)4–16(–20) mm.
Perennial

herbs, erect, pilose to pilosulous.
2n

= 14.

= 14, 24.

Dalea pulchra

Dalea aurea
Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering summer–early fall.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly or rocky grass­lands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, desert scrub. Open prairies, dry slopes, rocky or sandy areas, on limestone.
Elevation 900–1400 m. (3000–4600 ft.) 10–1800 m. (0–5900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WY; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Dalea aurea is sometimes cultivated in rock gardens or dry soil for its showy flowers with yellow petals. In Texas, the species is quite widespread.

(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. ornata, D. phleoides, D. pinnata, D. pogonathera, D. polygonoides, D. pringlei, 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. 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. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
Synonyms D. ceciliana
Name authority Gentry: Madroño 10: 227, plate 14. (1950) Nuttall ex Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 2: 740. (1813)
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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