Dalea scariosa |
Dalea formosa |
|
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Albuquerque prairie clover |
feather-plume, indigobush |
|
Habit | Shrubs, relatively erect, often gnarled, glabrous or glabrate proximal to inflorescences. | |
Stems | 2–7 dm, glandular-tuberculate. |
1.5–9 dm, eglandular or sparsely glandular-tuberculate distally. |
Inflorescences | spikes, relatively loosely flowered, not involucrate, 9–11 mm diam.; axis often partially visible at anthesis, 1.5–9(–13) cm; bracts early deciduous, 2.5–5 mm. |
spikes, loosely flowered, 2–9-flowered, not involucrate, 8 mm diam.; axis usually visible, 0.2–0.8(–3.5) cm; bracts early deciduous or ± persistent, brown, 2–6 mm, glandular. |
Peduncles | 0.5–5 cm. |
0–1(–1.8) cm. |
Stamens | 5, 8.5–9.8 mm, filaments distinct to 5–5.4 mm, anthers 0.7–1.1 mm. |
10, 9–12.5 mm, filaments distinct to 2.4–4.5 mm, anthers 0.8–1.2 mm. |
Corollas | pale pink to rose-purple; not conventionally papilionaceous; banner 7.2–8 mm, blade suborbiculate-cordate, 4–4.5 × 1–4.5 mm; epistemonous petals attached at separation of filaments, blades 3.7–4 × 1.8–2.2 mm, laterals often wider than abaxials. |
bicolored, banner cream to pale yellow, reddish in age, epistemonous petals rose- or magenta-purple; papilionaceous; banner (6.6–)7–8.8 mm, blade deltate-obcordate, (4–)4.3–5.5 × (3.4–)4–6.4 mm; epistemonous petals attached proximal to middle of stamen tube; wings 5.2–7.4 × 2.4–3.7 mm; keel connate valvately, blades (6–)6.3–7.6 × 3.2–4.5 mm. |
Calyces | asymmetric, recessed opposite banner, 4–5.8 mm, glabrous; tube 3–3.8 mm, green intervals each with a single row (or adaxial pair with 2 or 3 rows) of 3–5 blister glands, lobes subulate or adaxial pair triangular to triangular-apiculate. |
asymmetric, not recessed opposite banner, opening oblique, (7.5–)8.5–13.5(–16.2) mm, long-pilose; tube (3–)3.5–5(–5.2) mm, with 3 or 4(or 5) prominent blister glands between ribs, lobes lanceolate-acuminate, becoming aristate, plumose, with pointed projecting glands laterally. |
Legumes | 3.2–4 mm, glabrate, slightly ciliate distally and at proximal end of style, gland-dotted. |
3–3.5 mm, pilosulous and gland-dotted distally. |
Seeds | 2.3–3 mm. |
2.8–3 mm. |
Perennial | herbs, erect, glabrous proximal to inflorescences. |
|
Principal | leaves 1–2.5 cm; leaflets (5 or) 7 or 9, blades obovate-cuneate, 3–8 mm. |
leaves 0.3–1.1 cm; leaflets (5 or)7–13(or 15), blades obovate-cuneate to oblanceolate, 1–6(–7) mm. |
2n | = 14. |
= 14, 21, 42. |
Dalea scariosa |
Dalea formosa |
|
Phenology | Flowering summer(–early fall). | Flowering spring (fall). |
Habitat | Sandy or limey soils, grasslands, sometimes with mesquite or juniper. | Rocky desert, grasslands, open woodlands. |
Elevation | 1400–1600 m. (4600–5200 ft.) | 500–2100 m. (1600–6900 ft.) |
Distribution |
NM
|
AZ; CO; NM; OK; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora)
|
Discussion | Dalea scariosa is a geographically restricted and beautiful plant that is known only from locations near Alburquerque and Belen. It appears to be related to two other rare taxa, D. bartonii and D. sabinalis. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
As R. C. Barneby (1977c) pointed out, Dalea formosa is distinctive in appearance. It is complex cytologically, with diploid plants known from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico; tetraploid plants from Texas and Mexico; and hexaploid plants from New Mexico, Texas, and Mexico (R. Spellenberg 1981). In Texas, the species is known from widespread areas of the western half of the state. (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 | ||
Name authority | S. Watson: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 369. (1882) | Torrey: Ann. Lyceum Nat. Hist. New York 2: 177. (1827) |
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