Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea pulchra

Dalea grayi

Santa Catalina prairie-clover

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

5–10 dm, verruculose distally.

(3–)3.5–7(–9) dm, eglandular or sparsely 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, 7–9 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (0.4–)0.7–5.5(–7) cm;

bracts persistent, (2.2–)2.5–4.5 mm.
Peduncles

0–1 cm.

0.5–5(–10) cm.
Stamens

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

10, 5.5–7 mm, filaments distinct to 2.7–4 mm, anthers 0.5–0.7 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 or whitish, banner reddish or purplish in age;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner plane, 4–5.7 mm, blade triangular-cordate to rhombic-ovate, not peltate, 1.6–2.5 × 2–2.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached high on stamen tube, just proximal to separation of filaments, blades 2.2–3.1 × 0.8–1.4 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, 3.6–4.8(–5.2) mm, silky-pilosulous;

tube 2–2.7 mm, with 3–6 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-acuminate to -aristate.
Legumes

2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular.

2.2–2.5 mm, villosulous distally and dotted with small glands.
Seeds

1.5–1.8 mm.

1.6 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 cm;

leaflets (11–)17–43, blades elliptic-oblanceolate to narrowly obovate, 1–4.5(–5.5) mm.
Perennial

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
2n

= 14.

= 14.

Dalea pulchra

Dalea grayi
Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering fall (spring–summer).
Habitat Sandy to gravelly or rocky grass­lands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, desert scrub. Rocky slopes, washes, canyons, open pine or oak woodlands.
Elevation 900–1400 m. (3000–4600 ft.) 700–2200 m. (2300–7200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango, Sinaloa, Sonora)
[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.)

Dalea grayi occurs in southeastern Arizona as far northwest as Gila County and far southwestern New Mexico (Grant and Hidalgo counties).

(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. flavescens, D. foliosa, D. formosa, D. frutescens, D. gattingeri, 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 Parosela grayi
Name authority Gentry: Madroño 10: 227, plate 14. (1950) (Vail) L. O. Williams: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 23: 450. (1936)
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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