Dalea pulchra |
Dalea enneandra |
|
---|---|---|
Santa Catalina prairie-clover |
bigtop dalea, nine-anther dalea, nineanther prairie clover |
|
Habit | Shrubs, relatively erect, stiffly-branching, silky- or velvety-pubescent distally. | |
Stems | 5–10 dm, verruculose distally. |
(5–)6–12 dm, eglandular or 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, remotely flowered, most flowers separated by distinct intervals, not involucrate, 7–10 mm diam.; axis visible, (1–)2.5–12 cm; bracts persistent, enfolding and falling with fruit, 3–4.2 mm. |
Peduncles | 0–1 cm. |
0.5–3.5(–5.5) cm. |
Stamens | 10, 7.5–9 mm, filaments distinct to 1.8–2.8 mm, anthers 0.6–0.7 mm. |
9, 6.3–9.4 mm, filaments distinct to 2.2–3.5 mm, anthers 0.8–1.2 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. |
white; papilionaceous; banner 5.7–7 mm, blade broadly ovate, 3.6–4 × 3.2–4.2 mm, proximal lobes connate, forming obconic pit; epistemonous petals attached near or proximal to middle of stamen tube; wings 2.7–3.4 × 1.4–2 mm; keel connate valvately, blades (4.5–)4.8–5.8 × 2.6–3 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. |
± asymmetric, opening oblique, 6.2–7.6 mm, silky-pilosulous; tube 3–3.5(–3.7) mm, with 3 or 4 inconspicuous glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate, becoming plumose. |
Legumes | 2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular. |
3–3.7 mm, pilosulous and, sometimes, gland-dotted distally. |
Seeds | 1.5–1.8 mm. |
2.4–2.8 mm. |
Principal | leaves 0.5–1.5 cm; leaflets 5 or 7(or 9), blades obovate to oblanceolate, 1.5–5 mm. |
leaves 1.3–2.6 cm; leaflets (3–)7–11(or 13), blades narrowly oblanceolate or elliptic, 4–11(–12) mm. |
Perennial | herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences. |
|
2n | = 14. |
= 14. |
Dalea pulchra |
Dalea enneandra |
|
Phenology | Flowering spring. | Flowering summer–early fall. |
Habitat | Sandy to gravelly or rocky grasslands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, desert scrub. | Plains, prairies, many substrates. |
Elevation | 900–1400 m. (3000–4600 ft.) | 30–1400 m. (100–4600 ft.) |
Distribution |
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
|
CO; IA; IL; KS; MO; MT; ND; NE; NM; OK; SD; TX; WY
|
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 enneandra is native to the Great Plains and as far east as the Texas coast and the loess hill prairies of western Iowa and northwestern Missouri. It is naturalized in DuPage County, Illinois. Its persistent calyx aids in wind dispersal of fruit. (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 | ||
Synonyms | Parosela enneandra | |
Name authority | Gentry: Madroño 10: 227, plate 14. (1950) | Nuttall: Cat. Pl. Upper Louisiana, no. 30. (1813) |
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