Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea pulchra

Dalea compacta

Santa Catalina prairie-clover

compact prairie clover, plains praireclover
Habit Shrubs, relatively erect, stiffly-branching, silky- or velvety-pubescent distally.
Stems

5–10 dm, verruculose distally.

3–6(–7) dm, sparsely glandular-punctate.
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, 10.5–14(–15) mm diam.;

axis not visible, (0.5–)1–3 cm;

bracts persistent through anthesis, 2–7.5 mm.
Peduncles

0–1 cm.

0–15 cm.
Stamens

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

5, 8–10.5 mm, filaments distinct to 3.3–5(–5.4) mm, anthers 1–1.5 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.

rose-lilac or rose-purple;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5.4–9 mm, blade ovate-oblong or -deltate, 2.2–3.5 × 2.4–3.6 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.8–4 × 1.1–1.8 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, (4.4–)5–6.2 mm, pilosulous, with lines of antrorse, subappressed hairs proximal to sinuses and on margins of lobes;

tube 3–3.8 mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes subulate or adaxial pair triangular-ovate.
Legumes

2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular.

3–3.5 mm, glabrous except apex, eglandular.
Seeds

1.5–1.8 mm.

1.5 mm.
Principal

leaves 0.5–1.5 cm;

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

leaves (2–)2.5–5.5 cm;

leaflets (3 or)5 or 7(or 9), blades linear-oblanceolate to -elliptic, (10–)12–25 mm.
Perennial

herbs, erect to ascending or decumbent, glabrous or sparsely pilosulous.
2n

= 14.

Dalea pulchra

Dalea compacta
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
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from USDA
sc United States
[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.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Dalea compacta is most abundant in east Texas, where it is found in habitats similar to those occupied by D. purpurea in prairies of the mid United States.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Principal interfloral bracts exceeding subtended calyces, 4.5–7.5 mm.
var. compacta
1. Principal interfloral bracts equaling or shorter than subtended calyces, 2–5 mm.
var. pubescens
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. brachystachys, D. cahaba, D. candida, D. carnea, D. carthagenensis, 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
Subordinate taxa
D. compacta var. compacta, D. compacta var. pubescens
Synonyms Petalostemon compactus
Name authority Gentry: Madroño 10: 227, plate 14. (1950) Sprengel: Syst. Veg. 3: 327. (1826)
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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