Flora of North America species comparison

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Dalea purpurea var. arenicola

Dalea purpurea
Photo is of parent taxon

purple prairie clover

purple prairie-clover
Habit Herbs glabrous proximal to inflorescences.
Stems

2–4(–5) dm.

2–9 dm, eglandular or with few scattered glands.
Inflorescences

spikes, densely flowered, not involucrate, 7–12 mm diam.;

axis not visible, (1–)1.5–7 cm;

bracts persistent through anthesis, (2.3–)2.7–5.8(–7) mm.
Peduncles

3–15 cm.

(0–)3–15 cm.
Spikes

7–9 mm diam. 2n = 14.

Stamens

5, 5.6–8.5(–9) mm, filaments distinct to 3–5.2(–5.5) mm, anthers (0.7–)0.8–1.3(–1.4) mm.
Corollas

rose, magenta, pale purple, lilac, or pink;

not conventionally papilionaceous;

banner (4.3–)4.7–6.7(–7.2) mm, blade ovate to suborbiculate, 1.7–2.6(–2.8) × 1.7–2.8(–3.2) mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 2.5–3.8(–4) × 0.8–1.3(–1.5)mm.
Calyces

subsymmetric, 3.2–4.5 mm, pilosulous, base with antrorse hairs;

tube (1.7–)2–2.8(–2.9) mm, with 0 glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate to ovate, adaxial pair broadest.
Legumes

2.1–2.6 mm, distally pilosulous and gland-dotted.
Seeds

1.6–2.1 mm.
Perennial

herbs, erect to spreading, glabrous, puberulent, pilose, or tomentulose.
Principal

leaves 1.7–4(–4.5) cm;

leaflets 3 or 5(or 7), blades linear to linear-elliptic, (7–)10–24(–28) mm.

Dalea purpurea var. arenicola

Dalea purpurea
Phenology Flowering late spring–summer.
Habitat Sandy or rocky areas, often in alluvium.
Elevation 500–1300 m. (1600–4300 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
CO; KS; NE; NM; OK; TX
from USDA
North America
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

In Texas, var. arenicola is known from the northwestern quarter of the state. Variety arenicola occurs in areas of loose sand, while var. purpurea occurs in more compacted soil. The varieties are generally fairly distinctive except in areas where the two types of soils are in close proximity.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

Dalea purpurea is characteristic of prairies and has a wide geographical distribution. It is sometimes cultivated for its showy purple flowers and drought tolerance. Livestock find it palatable; it decreases with grazing.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Key
1. Spikes (8–)9.5–12 mm diam.; peduncles 0–10 cm (often absent or very short on side shoots).
var. purpurea
1. Spikes 7–9 mm diam.; peduncles 3–15 cm.
var. arenicola
Source FNA vol. 11. FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Dalea > Dalea purpurea Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Dalea
Sibling taxa
D. purpurea var. purpurea
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. reverchonii, D. sabinalis, D. scandens, D. scariosa, D. searlsiae, D. tentaculoides, D. tenuifolia, D. tenuis, D. urceolata, D. versicolor, D. villosa, D. wrightii
Subordinate taxa
D. purpurea var. arenicola, D. purpurea var. purpurea
Synonyms Petalostemon arenicola, D. arenicola Petalostemon purpureus
Name authority (Wemple) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 267. (1977) Ventenat: Descr. Pl. Nouv., plate 40. (1801)
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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