Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea pulchra

Dalea polygonoides

Santa Catalina prairie-clover

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

5–10 dm, verruculose distally.

0.5–3 dm, sparsely 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 obviously involucrate, 5.5–8(–9) mm diam.;

axis usually not visible, (0.5–)0.8–2.5(–3) cm;

bracts persistent through anthesis, 2–4 mm.
Peduncles

0–1 cm.

1.5–7(–15) cm.
Stamens

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

(6 or)7–9, usually 5 fertile, 2.2–3.5 mm, filaments distinct to 0.4–0.7 mm, anthers 0.1–0.2 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.

usually rose-purple to lavender, rarely white;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner 2.7–3.8 mm, blade flabellate, 1.4–2.3 × 1.2–1.5 mm; epistemonous petals attached near middle of stamen tube, blades somewhat unequal, laterals 1.3–1.6 × 0.3–0.6 mm, abaxials 1.3–1.9 × 0.7–1 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, 2.8–4 mm, sparsely pilose or glabrous proximally;

tube 1.6–2.1 mm, with 1(or 2) large blister glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate.
Legumes

2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular.

2.5–3 mm, pilosulous distally, eglandular.
Seeds

1.5–1.8 mm.

1.5–1.9 mm.
Principal

leaves 0.5–1.5 cm;

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

leaves (0.7–)1–3 cm;

leaflets (3 or) 5 or 7 (or 9), blades oblong-oblanceolate, 5–12(–15) mm.
Annual

herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
2n

= 14.

= 14.

Dalea pulchra

Dalea polygonoides
Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering late summer–fall.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly or rocky grass­lands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, desert scrub. Rocky slopes, flats, roadsides, openings in pine or juniper forests.
Elevation 900–1400 m. (3000–4600 ft.) 1900–2800 m. (6200–9200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Durango)
[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 polygonoides occurs at higher elevations throughout much of Arizona, New Mexico, and trans-Pecos Texas.

(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. 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. 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: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 5(6): 39. (1853)
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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