Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea pulchra

Dalea greggii

Santa Catalina prairie-clover

Gregg's dalea, Gregg's prairie clover
Habit Shrubs, relatively erect, stiffly-branching, silky- or velvety-pubescent distally. Subshrubs, horizontal-spreading, mat-forming, at least young foliage silky-pilosulous.
Stems

5–10 dm, verruculose distally.

procumbent or arching, often rooting along stems, 3–5(–20+) dm, eglandular or glandular-verruculose distally.
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, relatively densely flowered, not involucrate, 8–11 mm diam.;

axis usually not visible, 0.4–3(–5.5) cm;

bracts persistent, 2–4 mm.
Peduncles

0–1 cm.

0–4(–6) cm.
Stamens

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

10, 5.5–7.5 mm, filaments distinct to 1.7–2.4 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.

bicolored, banner cream to pale yellow, reddish in age, epistemonous petals pink to pink-purple; papilionaceous;

banner 4.4–6.2 mm, blade deltate-cordate, 2.6–3.5 × 3.2–4.3 mm, proximal lobes connate, forming obconic pit; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 3.2–4.6 × 1.6–2.4 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 4–4.8(–5.3) × 2.2–3.3 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.

subsymmetric, (4–)4.2–6 mm, silky-pilosulous;

tube (2–)2.2–2.8(–3) mm, usually with 3–8(–10) blister glands between ribs (scattered or in a row), lobes triangular-acuminate to lanceolate or aristate, unequal, abaxial longest.
Legumes

2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular.

2.1–2.8 mm, pilosulous and gland-dotted distally.
Seeds

1.5–1.8 mm.

1.6–2 mm.
Principal

leaves 0.5–1.5 cm;

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

leaves 0.6–2.5(–3) cm;

leaflets 5–9, blades obovate to oblanceolate, 2–7(–9) mm.
2n

= 14.

= 14 (Mexico).

Dalea pulchra

Dalea greggii
Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering spring, fall, (year-round).
Habitat Sandy to gravelly or rocky grass­lands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, desert scrub. Rocky slopes, deserts, open woodlands, limestone soils.
Elevation 900–1400 m. (3000–4600 ft.) 600–1400 m. (2000–4600 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, south as far as Oaxaca)
[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 greggii is cultivated as a ground cover and for erosion control in xeriscaping. In Texas, the species is known from the eastern trans-Pecos and Big Bend regions.

(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. grayi, 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
Name authority Gentry: Madroño 10: 227, plate 14. (1950) A. Gray: Pl. Nov. Thurb., 314. (1854)
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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