Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea pulchra

Dalea flavescens

Santa Catalina prairie-clover

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

5–10 dm, verruculose distally.

(2.5–)3–4.5 dm, glandular-tuberculate.
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, 8.5–12(–13) mm diam.;

axis not visible, (1–)1.5–7(–10) cm;

bracts deciduous, interfloral ones often held in place by crowded flowers, 2.5–5.5(–6.5) mm.
Peduncles

0–1 cm.

(4–)7–20(–25) cm.
Stamens

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

5, (5.5–)6.2–10(–12.7) mm, filaments distinct to 3.4–6.2(–8.7) mm, anthers 0.9–1.6 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.

white, ochroleucous in drying;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 5–7.4(–8.4) mm, blade broadly triangular to ovate, 2.6–4.2 ×2.2–3.9(–4.5) mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 3–3.9(–4.5) × 0.9–1.6(–1.9) 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, deeply recessed opposite banner, (3–)3.3–4.7(–5.2) mm, pilosulous, especially distally;

tube (2–)2.2–2.8 mm, with 0–3 small, pale blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate.
Legumes

2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular.

3.1–3.7 mm, pilosulous distally and dotted with small glands.
Seeds

1.5–1.8 mm.

2.1–2.4 mm.
Principal

leaves 0.5–1.5 cm;

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

leaves (2–)2.5–4(–4.5) cm;

leaflets 5 or 7, blades oblong-obovate to narrowly oblong-elliptic, 7–17(–19) mm, surfaces glandular-punctate to glandular-verruculose abaxially.
Perennial

herbs, erect, pilosulous except stems glabrous.
2n

= 14.

Dalea pulchra

Dalea flavescens
Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly or rocky grass­lands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, desert scrub. Dry hills, sandy or rocky places, desert shrub communities, sometimes on limestone.
Elevation 900–1400 m. (3000–4600 ft.) 900–1600 m. (3000–5200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; UT
[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.)

The distributions of Dalea flavescens and D. searlsiae are nearly discrete.

(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. exigua, D. exserta, D. feayi, D. filiformis, 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 flavescens, D. epica
Name authority Gentry: Madroño 10: 227, plate 14. (1950) (S. Watson) S. L. Welsh ex Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 231. (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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