Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea pulchra

Dalea wrightii

Santa Catalina prairie-clover

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

5–10 dm, verruculose distally.

0.4–2.6(–3.6) dm, eglandular.
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, 17–23 mm diam.;

axis not to partially visible, (1.5–)2–6 cm;

bracts deciduous near anthesis, 6–12 mm.
Peduncles

0–1 cm.

absent or very short.
Stamens

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

10, 10–13 mm, filaments distinct to 1.5 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.

clear yellow, pinkish or orangish brown in age; papilionaceous;

banner 7.8–9.5 mm, blade cordate, 2–3 × 2.4–3.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached distal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2.6–3.4 × 1.8–2.3 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades (2.6–)3–4(–4.2) × 1.6–2.2 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.

somewhat asymmetric, slightly recessed opposite banner, (8.5–)9–12.3 mm, densely pilose;

tube (2.5–)2.7–3.5 mm, with 4 glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate, becoming plumose.
Legumes

2.5–3 mm, densely pubescent distally, eglandular.

2.8–3.5 mm, distally with 2 rows of ascending hairs on either side of a glabrescent row, eglandular.
Seeds

1.5–1.8 mm.

2–2.8 mm.
Principal

leaves 0.5–1.5 cm;

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

leaves 1–3.5 cm;

leaflets 5, blades rhombic-ovate to lanceolate, 4–15(–20) mm, surfaces apparently eglandular.
Perennial

herbs, erect to decumbent or ascending, silky-pilose.
2n

= 14.

= 14.

Dalea pulchra

Dalea wrightii
Phenology Flowering spring. Flowering early spring–fall.
Habitat Sandy to gravelly or rocky grass­lands, open oak, juniper, or pine woodlands, desert scrub. Rocky grasslands, desert slopes, on limestone.
Elevation 900–1400 m. (3000–4600 ft.) 500–1800 m. (1600–5900 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, 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 wrightii occurs in southeastern Arizona, southern 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. 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
Synonyms D. wrightii var. warnockii
Name authority Gentry: Madroño 10: 227, plate 14. (1950) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 49. (1852)
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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