Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea pulchra

Dalea exigua

Santa Catalina prairie-clover

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

5–10 dm, verruculose distally.

1–4(–4.5) dm, eglandular or weakly gland-dotted.
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, 5–8 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (0.8–)1.3–4.5(–6) cm;

bracts persistent through anthesis, 2.5–3.3 mm.
Peduncles

0–1 cm.

(2.5–)4–16 cm.
Stamens

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

4–7, 3–6 fertile, 3.2–4 mm, filaments distinct to 1 mm, anthers 0.2–0.3 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.

lavender or pink-purple;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 3.4–4.2 mm, blade ovate, 1.3–1.6 × 1–1.2 mm; epistemonous petals attached high on stamen tube, just proximal to separation of filaments, blades 1.7–2.3 × 0.9–1.1 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, recessed opposite banner, 3.8–4.3 mm, silky-pilose;

tube 1.9–2.2 mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate.
Legumes

2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular.

2.5 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.
Seeds

1.5–1.8 mm.

1.9–2.3 mm.
Principal

leaves 0.5–1.5 cm;

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

leaves 1.5–5.5 cm;

leaflets 3 or 5, blades linear-oblanceolate to -elliptic, (0.5–)1–3.7(–4) cm.
Annual

herbs, erect, glabrate.
2n

= 14.

Dalea pulchra

Dalea exigua
Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering fall.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly or rocky grass­lands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, desert scrub. Grassy slopes, roadsides, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands.
Elevation 900–1400 m. (3000–4600 ft.) 1500–2400 m. (4900–7900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[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 exigua occurs in southeastern Arizona (Cochise, Pima, and Santa Cruz counties) and adjacent southwestern New Mexico. A disjunct population occurs in McKinley County, New Mexico.

(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. brachystachys, D. cahaba, D. candida, D. carnea, D. carthagenensis, D. compacta, D. cylindriceps, D. emarginata, D. enneandra, 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 Petalostemon exilis
Name authority Gentry: Madroño 10: 227, plate 14. (1950) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 200. (1977)
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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