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Photo is of parent taxon

low prairie clover

Habit Shrubs or subshrubs, villosulous.
Stems

5–12 dm, sparsely glandular-verruculose distally.

Inflorescences

spikes, loosely flowered, not involucrate, 10–13 mm diam.;

axis often visible, 0.2–2(–3) cm;

bracts deciduous, 2–6.5 mm.

Peduncles

absent or less than 0.1 cm, except terminal one for each major branch sometimes to 0.25 cm.

Stamens

10, 4.3–5.5 mm, filaments distinct to 0.6–0.8 mm, anthers 0.6 mm.

Corollas

greenish cream, brownish purple in age; papilionaceous;

banner 2.5–3.7 mm, blade ovate to nearly orbiculate, 1.9–3 × 1.9–3 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube;

wings 2–3 × 1–1.7 mm;

keel connate valvately, blades 2.5–3.5(–3.7) × 1.4–1.9(–2.1) mm.

Calyces

asymmetric, not recessed opposite banner, opening oblique, 4.2–6 mm, villous throughout or proximally glabrous;

tube (1.6–)1.8–2.8(–3.1) mm, with 2 or 3 prominent glands between ribs, lobes triangular-aristate, abaxial becoming uncinate, all becoming plumose, laterally gland-spurred.

Legumes

2.3–2.7 mm, villosulous and gland-dotted distally.

Seeds

unknown.

Principal

leaves 2–4.5 cm;

leaflets 7–11, blades obovate to ovate, (4–)5–13(–16) mm.

2n

= 14.

Dalea scandens var. paucifolia

Phenology Flowering fall–early spring.
Habitat Brushy hillsides, thickets.
Elevation 0–150[–1600] m. (0–500[–5200] ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
TX; Mexico (Chiapas, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Yucatan); West Indies (w Cuba)
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Similar in appearance to Dalea carthagenensis, D. scandens var. paucifolia is widespread and variable. It occurs in the southern Texas coastal plain as far north as Nueces County.

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

Source FNA vol. 11.
Parent taxa Fabaceae > subfam. Faboideae > Dalea > Dalea scandens
Synonyms D. domingensis var. paucifolia, D. thyrsiflora
Name authority (J. M. Coulter) Barneby: Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 27: 527. (1977)
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