FNA: Dalea pulchra vs. Dalea brachystachys

	Dalea pulchra	Dalea brachystachys
	Santa Catalina prairie-clover
Habit	Shrubs, relatively erect, stiffly-branching, silky- or velvety-pubescent distally.
Stems	5–10 dm, verruculose distally.	(0.5–)1–3.5(–4) dm, eglandular or sparsely glandular-verruculose.
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 obviously involucrate, 8–11 mm diam.; axis not to partially visible, 0.3–1.6 cm; bracts deciduous near anthesis, 2.5–6 mm.
Peduncles	0–1 cm.	1–7 cm.
Stamens	10, 7.5–9 mm, filaments distinct to 1.8–2.8 mm, anthers 0.6–0.7 mm.	(9 or)10, 3.5–5.5 mm, filaments distinct to 1–1.4(–2) mm, anthers 0.3–0.5(–0.6) 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, pinkish or brownish in age; papilionaceous; banner 2–3.4(–6) mm, blade deltate-ovate or cordate, 1–2 × 1–2 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube; wings 1–2(–2.9) × 0.7–1.1(–1.8) mm; keel connate valvately, blades 1.8–2.8(–3.8) × 1.3–2(–2.4) 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, (3.5–)4.4–5.8(–6) mm, pilose; tube 1.5–2.1 mm, with (0–)3 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate.
Legumes	2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular.	2.3–2.6 mm, pilosulous and, sometimes, gland-dotted distally.
Seeds	1.5–1.8 mm.	1.4–1.7 mm.
Principal	leaves 0.5–1.5 cm; leaflets 5 or 7(or 9), blades obovate to oblanceolate, 1.5–5 mm.	leaves 0.8–2.5(–3) cm; leaflets (3 or)5–11, blades oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, 2–14(–16) mm.
Annual		herbs (monocarpic), erect or diffuse, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
2n	= 14.	= 14.

	Dalea pulchra	Dalea brachystachys
Phenology	Flowering spring.	Flowering late summer–fall (spring).
Habitat	Sandy to gravelly or rocky grasslands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, desert scrub.	Dry, open habitats in deserts, desert grasslands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands.
Elevation	900–1400 m. (3000–4600 ft.)	1300–2500 m. (4300–8200 ft.)
Distribution	AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora) [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas)
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 brachystachys is found as far south as southeastern Puebla. In the flora area, it is most common in extreme southeastern Arizona and adjacent southwestern New Mexico, with scattered populations through much of both states. Unlike most annual Dalea species, it is rarely weedy. (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. aurea, D. bartonii, D. bicolor, 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. lemmonii
Name authority	Gentry: Madroño 10: 227, plate 14. (1950)	A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 39. (1853)
Web links	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Dalea brachystachys

Santa Catalina prairie-clover

Habit

Shrubs, relatively erect, stiffly-branching, silky- or velvety-pubescent distally.

Stems

5–10 dm, verruculose distally.

(0.5–)1–3.5(–4) dm, eglandular or sparsely glandular-verruculose.

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 obviously involucrate, 8–11 mm diam.;

axis not to partially visible, 0.3–1.6 cm;

bracts deciduous near anthesis, 2.5–6 mm.

Peduncles

0–1 cm.

1–7 cm.

Stamens

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

(9 or)10, 3.5–5.5 mm, filaments distinct to 1–1.4(–2) mm, anthers 0.3–0.5(–0.6) 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, pinkish or brownish in age; papilionaceous;

banner 2–3.4(–6) mm, blade deltate-ovate or cordate, 1–2 × 1–2 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 1–2(–2.9) × 0.7–1.1(–1.8) mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 1.8–2.8(–3.8) × 1.3–2(–2.4) 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, (3.5–)4.4–5.8(–6) mm, pilose;

tube 1.5–2.1 mm, with (0–)3 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate.

Legumes

2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular.

2.3–2.6 mm, pilosulous and, sometimes, gland-dotted distally.

Seeds

1.5–1.8 mm.

1.4–1.7 mm.

Principal

leaves 0.5–1.5 cm;

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

leaves 0.8–2.5(–3) cm;

leaflets (3 or)5–11, blades oblanceolate to linear-oblanceolate, 2–14(–16) mm.

Annual

herbs (monocarpic), erect or diffuse, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.

= 14.

Dalea pulchra

Dalea brachystachys

Phenology

Flowering spring.

Flowering late summer–fall (spring).

Habitat

Sandy to gravelly or rocky grasslands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, desert scrub.

Dry, open habitats in deserts, desert grasslands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands.

Elevation

900–1400 m. (3000–4600 ft.)

1300–2500 m. (4300–8200 ft.)

Distribution

AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Puebla, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas)

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 brachystachys is found as far south as southeastern Puebla. In the flora area, it is most common in extreme southeastern Arizona and adjacent southwestern New Mexico, with scattered populations through much of both states. Unlike most annual Dalea species, it is rarely weedy.

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

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. 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. aurea, D. bartonii, D. bicolor, 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. lemmonii

Name authority

Gentry: Madroño 10: 227, plate 14. (1950)

A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 39. (1853)

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).

Choose a data source: Flora of North America

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Dalea pulchra

Dalea brachystachys

Dalea pulchra

Dalea brachystachys